Tainted Blood
by Blackened
Summary: Sequel to Jealousy, Seifer is locked up for murder with Garden wanting him dead. It's up to Jayson to prove Seifer's innocence and confront his own past in the process.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 8 or its characters, once again I am merely borrowing them to tell a story. All FF8 characters and the FF8 world belong to SquareSoft (Now SquareEnix). All new characters however belong to me.  
  
Author's note: This fic is the sequel to an earlier one of mine called Jealousy. It'd help if you read that one first as it introduces the main characters of this fic. If you've already read Jealousy then you'll know what to expect or maybe not. Anyways this short prologue is basically half the epilogue to Jealousy... a quick passage to remind you of what happened and set up the plot for this fic.  
  
They arrived outside of Balamb Garden to an unexpected welcome. All around the airship SeeDs and cadets alike were rushing forward yelling and screaming at Squall in anger and demand as they walked down the ramp.  
  
Jayson could see Zell Dinct rushing forward his face pale with stress and panic.  
  
'What the hell is going on?' Squall said as he and Rinoa walked out ahead.  
  
'Looks like some sort of riot.' Jayson said softly.  
  
'A riot? Why would they riot?' Quistis murmured.  
  
Zell drew closer looking at Squall and the others in relief.  
  
'Thank Hyne you're back...' he said rapidly.  
  
'What's happened?' Squall demanded wary of the crowding mob.  
  
'There's been a couple of murders...' Zell said softly.  
  
All the girls gasped in unison.  
  
'That's still no reason to riot...' Jayson said.  
  
Zell gulped and rubbed his hands nervously. 'They're like this because it looks like Seifer was the one that did them... they want him dead.' He told them.  
  
'WHAT!?' the others all yelled in unison whilst the mob still raged. 


	2. Murder Mystery

The mob had finally been dispersed by Squall's stern demeanour and they had all reluctantly gone back into Garden and their dorms, classes or whatever it was they had left when they had all gathered to harass Squall.  
  
Zell briefly explained what had happened, how two girls had been murdered and the evidence had pointed to Seifer who denied any knowledge but once word got out had to be put into protective custody until Squall and the others got back.  
  
'We were hardly gone a week!' Squall sighed as he entered his office.  
  
'I know sir but whoever did it would take advantage of your absence. We know that there's still a lot of bad feeling against Seifer it wouldn't take much to push people against him.' Jayson said.  
  
'But murder?' Quistis added incredulously.  
  
'Enough... everyone just go and relax, we've had a hard enough time with Spore over the last few days... Seifer seems to be safe in the cell for now and I can probably keep the rest of Garden calm for now until I get round to speaking with Seifer and seeing if we can sort this out.' Squall told them, rubbing his temples.  
  
'You seriously can't believe Seifer did this?' Meia asked.  
  
'We'll just have to see won't we?' Squall said sadly and waved them all out the room.  
  
Meia and Jayson left the office leaving the older SeeDs to discuss what they planned to do.  
  
'Why would Seifer kill two girls?' Meia asked allowed running a hand through her copper hair.  
  
'I think the question is who made it look like Seifer killed two girls? You saw him in the exam, he wanted to make SeeD so bad, there's no way he'd do something to jeopardise that again.' Jayson replied his blue eyes watching Meia as she walked beside him.  
  
He cast a look around them and noticed that the halls were empty. Then grinning to himself he moved an arm out behind Meia and let it snake around her waist making her giggle in surprise.  
  
'Couldn't leave me alone huh?' she teased and rested her head against his shoulder.  
  
'Well we're home now... I was hoping to get a lot more free time with you after all that business in Esthar but something tells me this Seifer business will be keeping us all busy.' Jayson said softly reaching round with his free hand and stroking her hair.  
  
Meia murmured softly. 'I don't see why not... I mean we deserve a break after killing the father of WEAPONs, plus you have been made unconscious twice in the last few days I'm sure Kadowaki will make sure you're made to rest.' She told him as they continued to walk back to the dorms.  
  
'Hmmm I don't know, me and rest don't exactly get along.' Jayson retorted grinning.  
  
Meia rolled her green eyes at him. 'Well this we know but it'd at least mean we could get some time together...' she told him although there was a hidden question in her silence.  
  
Jayson sighed and stopped suddenly making her turn to face him. Looking down into her eyes he told her softly and sincerely. 'Just because we're back at Garden now doesn't mean I'll let you go... I'll admit that I'm a private person and a loner but all I really want is to be alone with you.'  
  
Meia's eyes lit up and her full lips stretching as she smiled. She then reached up with her hands, wrapping them around his neck and kissed him softly. Jayson's own hands slid down her back as he returned her kiss.  
  
They finally broke away as cadets streamed into the halls from classes.  
  
'So what shall we do now we've saved the world?' Jayson said grinning.  
  
His clear blue eyes gazed around the pale walls of his cell, his hands limp in his lap as he sat on the small bed that folded down from the wall. He hated being confined like this, he needed freedom, action, anything but this. His voice was hoarse from his protestations of innocence and now he had given up. He knew that most of Garden resented even if he had now finally proven that he was one of them, knew that they wouldn't believe his words and would attack him mercilessly if he were free.  
  
Fujin and Raijin had been to see him but they too were getting black looks from the others by association and so he had to turn them away. He should've expected something like this once Squall went away, but he had been so confident that he'd be fine, ignored the slight chills of paranoia and now he'd been locked away in here by the Chicken Wuss and the Cowboy, for his own protection... or rather the others protection cause he sure as hell wasn't going to stand there and take it from them. He never even knew the girls that had been killed, as if he'd be so stupid to leave a mark that'd lead to him if he had done so. Just because they had been branded with the Firecross that he bore on his shoulders didn't mean he was guilty.  
  
Admittedly there was supposedly other evidence but all it took was for his symbol to be there and all of Garden was baying for his blood. He knew Squall was back now and wondered when his one time rival would come see him, with that sad look, and would he believe his words or those of others. Seifer lay back on the bunk closing his eyes as he tried to get away from these dull walls, cast his mind back to more fun times and there found two people who he might still call "Friends".  
  
Squall closed his eyes as he threw the folder onto his desk. The pictures still floated in his vision, blood soaked and grotesque the symbol evident throughout. 'This is stupid... not even Seifer would be so arrogant to do that...' he thought to himself.  
  
He was all alone in his office trying to make sense of it all, out of everyone in Garden he felt he knew Seifer best, they had trained together and even if they never really discussed anything he knew they shared the same feelings on most things. It had been his choice to let Seifer back into Garden and had been proved right when he had finally become SeeD, no doubt because he'd become mellow since Ultimecia.  
  
He wasn't sure if he could cope with this right now, not after all he had witnessed with Spore and Jayson. He'd been outclassed there and he had been surprised at how he'd been angered by it, the pride burning him. Maybe now more than ever he understood Seifer and all he knew was one thing, Seifer was innocent. The only problem was proving it.  
  
Sleep happened, it was good, especially when he had her beside him, sharing the warmth, the closeness. He wondered if he could ever go back to how he was before her. Orion had told him that the mental defences he had created throughout his life had been weakening in his sleep but now he knew they were as strong was ever. The fear he had felt in those few days with Meia had been the cause of that, that and Spore's invasion of his mind. Now his determination had rebuilt that steel barrier stronger than ever, which after Spore's words was just as well. He was aware of what lurked inside, what he kept locked within, but now wasn't the time to dwell on this, he'd rather immerse himself in her as she lay against him, breathing shallowly in sleep, her body tired from the last couple of days, the battles they'd fought in Esthar.  
  
No one would ever know what had happened except those few people who had been there and President Laguna. This suited Jayson fine, the looks of the other SeeDs when he had slain Spore were bad enough, he preferred being in the background, out of attention because attention brought judgement and that he couldn't stand not with the dark core of his soul looming inside of him. He slid his arm around her waist still amazed by the fact that she was actually with him, this scenario had played out in his mind numerous times in the few years he had been watching her from afar, never realising that at the same time she was doing the same. He had caused her fear and pain in the last week, had been brought back from the brink because of her, had shown part of his hidden power just so she could be kept safe and now in the warm cocoon of the bed he let the feel of her and the promise of dreams take him and lull him so softly into peaceful sleep once more. 


	3. On The Case

The halls were silent as he made his way to where Seifer was being held. The crickets chirped in the dark as Squall walked alone under the fluorescent lights. It was time to talk to Seifer, try and make some sense of this madness and prevent any more bloodshed. If Seifer really was guilty then he'd be fair and make sure the mob wouldn't tear him apart, but to be honest he hoped like hell his one time rival was innocent for even though he had tortured him in the D-district prison, had tried to kill him numerous times, he couldn't believe that was the true Seifer.  
  
The door slid open and Seifer opened his eyes, the light framing the figure of his one time rival. He sat up on his bed and stared blankly at him.  
  
'I was waiting for you to come see me... I wasn't sure you'd come though.' He said softly.  
  
'I'm just sorry I wasn't here sooner.' Squall replied.  
  
'It'd have made no difference you wouldn't have been able to stop them rising against me like this.' Seifer said looking away.  
  
'Don't tell me you've given up...' Squall said the door closing behind him.  
  
'Like they'd really believe me... and you can't do anything Squall, they'll call it bias, hate you for being on my side. I couldn't do that to you not after everything you've been through for them and this place.' Seifer said slowly.  
  
'Then what do you suggest? Either way I have to prove your innocence or guilt.' Squall replied leaning against the wall opposite him.  
  
'Well the evidence is stacked against me, whoever wanted me sent down like this sure as hell planned it well.' Seifer said dryly.  
  
'So you are innocent then.' Squall said quietly as if stating the obvious.  
  
Seifer looked up. 'Of course I am! Why would I be so daft as to ruin my life again?' he snapped.  
  
Squall grinned. 'That's better, I wasn't sure I could cope with Seifer missing the fire inside.' He said amiably.  
  
Seifer smiled in reply. 'Yeah well it's been a bad couple of days.' He chuckled roughly. 'How was your little trip?' he then asked.  
  
'What can I say? New danger, beaten without any real need for me there.' Squall said simply.  
  
'That easy huh? Laguna must've been desperate to get you there then.' Seifer said.  
  
'No not easy, just the Father of WEAPONs resurrecting.' Squall informed him.  
  
'Then why did it feel like you weren't needed? You've fought WEAPONs before and you're the second best warrior in Garden.' Seifer asked, smirking with his last comment.  
  
Squall wasn't to be riled by Seifer's joke comment. He sighed instead. 'You're probably right there... I was out classed by Jayson.' He admitted.  
  
'You too huh?' Seifer said softly.  
  
'What?' Squall asked confused.  
  
'Oh come on, you think I wouldn't try and have a go after what he did in the exam? I guess I should've learnt something from the exam... he had me down in no time, gave me a little souvenir too.' Seifer said tapping his cheek where four thin red lines showed the healing of wounds.  
  
'I'm just surprised I never saw it sooner... all the stuff with Ultimecia probably would've been easier with him around.' Squall mused.  
  
'Yeah well he kept himself in the background, I'm pretty sure some cadets were harsh to him, me included probably.' Seifer said softly.  
  
'I'm just glad he's on our side. I'd hate to get on the wrong side of someone who can take a WEAPON single-handedly.' Squall told him.  
  
Seifer sputtered in surprise. 'You're joking right?'  
  
'No I'm serious. At one point me, Rinoa and Quistis had to fight him cause the WEAPON possessed him. He knocked the girls out no problem and even stood up to my Lionheart limit break. I couldn't take him and he was pulling his punches because it wasn't really him fighting. You can't imagine how angry I was at that.' Squall said softly.  
  
'I was sure as hell cursing when he beat me I know that.' Seifer replied.  
  
'Actually speaking of Jayson I have a suggestion....' He added.  
  
She dreamt in her sleep and yet her dream was true. Her subconscious mind was envisioning how she was pressed against him feeling his hands moving down her arms and wrapping around her resting against her tummy making her feel safe and secure. She had never been this at ease with someone, had never really been this intimate.  
  
She had watched him sleep when he had been knocked unconscious by Spore in Esthar, had seen the curious network of scars that covered his torso and wondered where they had come from, what had happened in his past to mar him so physically and emotionally. The dream was interrupted by a voice, one that had awoken her a week ago and signalled a change in her life, she just hoped this time it wouldn't change it for the worse.  
  
She opened her eyes and looked around her vision blurred by sleep.  
  
'Go back to sleep, it's just me they want this time.' Jayson whispered softly to her kissing her forehead as he slipped out the bed reluctantly.  
  
'What they want now?' Meia whined rolling onto her back looking up at him.  
  
'No idea, I'll find out when I get there I suppose.' He told getting dressed.  
  
'Just sleep okay? I'll be back soon enough trust me.' He told her leaning over running his hand down her cheek cupping her chin and giving her a quick peck on the lips.  
  
Jayson pulled away and left the room as Meia snuggled in the covers of his bed drifting back to sleep and her dream of him.  
  
As Jayson walked to Squall's office he developed a pretty good idea of what he was to expect. He knew Squall couldn't have anything to do with Seifer's case other than as an official spectator. As much as the whole of Garden respected Squall, there were a lot of them that hadn't like his decision to let Seifer, Fujin and Raijin back into Garden and if Squall tried to prove Seifer's innocence then he'd be put in a precarious situation.  
  
But if they were to put a new SeeD on the case, one who was known to have aced the exams and be honest and have no reason to be biased then they were likely to avoid any such problems. All this Jayson reasoned as he rode the lift up to the third floor. The doors opened and he strode out to the door of Squall's office knocking twice.  
  
'Come in.' Squall called out and he entered the office to find Squall sat at his desk, paperwork piled up on one side.  
  
'Good, I wasn't sure if you'd get the message...' Squall said.  
  
'I think everyone did. I'm still not sure why we use the tannoy system for personal audiences, I mean it means everyone knows your private stuff in a way.' Jayson replied dryly.  
  
Squall grinned sickly. 'Me neither but still what else can we do? It's the quickest way and sometimes we need that.' He said motioning Jayson to a chair.  
  
Jayson stood at the desk ramrod straight. 'I know what this is about, you want me to investigate the murders right?' Jayson told him abruptly looking down at him.  
  
Squall's eyes widened and then he said 'Yes, I guess it was obvious. This is at Seifer's request by the way.'  
  
It was Jayson's turn to be surprised. 'Really?' he asked.  
  
'Yes I spoke to him last night and he felt you'd be the best candidate. He trusts you and knows you would have no grudge against him, neither would you blindly trying to prove his innocence.' Squall told him handing over a file.  
  
'This is what Zell has got so far. The first murder happened five days ago followed by the next the night after. The bodies were discovered three days ago and the rooms were pretty much left as they were found, and closed off.' He continued.  
  
'So I start now huh?' Jayson said softly feeling the weight of the file in his hands.  
  
'Yes, I'm sure you understand the urgency of the matter. I want you to search for any evidence that either proves Seifer's guilt or innocence. Don't just look for things that will prove his innocence, you'll have to be thorough otherwise Garden will not accept the verdict.' Squall told him.  
  
'I know...' Jayson said softly. 'I guess I'd better go read then.' He added and walked out the room.  
  
Jayson still couldn't believe that Seifer had asked for him specifically. He had just assumed that Squall would put him on it because of his position in Garden. He kept the file closed as he walked back to the dormitory, he didn't want to look at it until he got to the privacy of his room although it was still too early for that many people to be up he didn't want to risk it.  
  
He silently entered his room, slowly and carefully closing the door behind him and locking it so not to disturb Meia. He crept to his desk quietly sitting at it as he opened the folder for the first time. He spread the photographs and documents out on the desk and looked at them intently.  
  
He wasn't at all shocked by what he could see in the photographs, which kind of said something about his state of mind. In both cases the girls were laid across their beds, heads hanging limply over the edge so their long dark hair hung down, their eyes left open and lifeless. Blood soaked the covers of their bed and pooled around deep incisions on their body. He read the autopsy report, which suggested a single edged 6-inch blade was responsible. But what caught his eye was the cross like symbol carved into their chests, the blood making it appear red... Seifer's Firecross.  
  
Now the girls were juniors, in the classes below either him or Seifer so it was unlikely that he knew them other than as faces in the crowd and plus there was no evidence of rape so what motive would he have for killing these girls?  
  
Unfortunately there was evidence that Seifer had been in their rooms, strands of his hair were found on the bed and fibres from his jacket were collected from the carpet. But funnily no fingerprints, now surely if Seifer had worn gloves to hide his prints surely he would've thought of ways to keep hair and fibres to himself too? Jayson reasoned with himself.  
  
'How easy would it be to get hair from someone without them knowing?' Jayson thought to himself as he became further immersed in the file.  
  
A hand touched his shoulder breaking him away from the photographs, which he had been staring at for the last five minutes.  
  
'What's that?' Meia asked softly.  
  
Jayson looked up at her. 'It's Seifer's case file.' He told her closing it.  
  
'Why do you have it?' she asked sleepily.  
  
'Squall wants me to investigate.' He told her standing up.  
  
'Why? Can't he let you have a rest?' Meia whined.  
  
'Because I'm probably the only neutral person... others would either be for or against Seifer. Besides who would argue with me after my exam results?' he said grinning at the last comment.  
  
'But what about spending time with me?' Meia said standing before him.  
  
'Well I'm sure Squall wouldn't mind if you helped me.' Jayson replied softly and slid his arms around her waist walking her back over to the bed. 


	4. Proof Of Innocence?

It was hours later and Jayson was slowly examining the victim's rooms. He was here alone having told Meia to go for lunch not wanting her to witness the horrors that lay before him. And now here he was with his basic knowledge in criminology and an expensive camera borrowed from Nida. Funny how you never find out things about people until the strangest circumstances.

He stood in the centre of the first victim's room. He closed his eyes and pictured the file he had read previously. Her name was Hanna Litton, aged 17, Martial arts and Magic specialist, which meant Zell ought to have known her in passing. She was a petite figure similar in stature to Selphie although her brown hair was longer.

Jayson opened his eyes and slowly turned to face the bed where white sheets were rumpled and stained a deep reddish brown where blood had pooled. He slowly crept nearer to the bed breathing deeply through his mouth as he looked at the end of the bed where her head had lain and noticed the strands of hair on the sheets. Kneeling down by the end of the bed he collected the hair strands with tweezers and gently slid them into an envelope, which he sealed and labelled.

He then stood and proceeded to take photographs of his own of the room, in particular the patterns of blood spatter on the walls and floor. Then he opened the file he had brought with him and noted the areas in which the other SeeDs that had investigated the scenes had found traces of Seifer. Jacket fibres had been found on the door frame and around the bed whilst hair had also been found only by the bed. Strangely there was nothing found of Seifer's on the girl's body or any tissue under her fingernails suggesting that she hadn't or wasn't able to struggle.

Jayson thought about how strange all this seemed... the girl had been murdered by stabbing, mainly to the abdomen. They were trained mercenaries surely if someone stabbed them with a knife they'd lash out automatically in retaliation? Another thing that struck him was that there was no evidence of Seifer's presence at all at the places other than the bed where the victim was wounded otherwise they'd be something of him near the walls where the speckles of blood suggested gushing from wounds or back spatter from the blade... unless there was something he couldn't see.

He closed the file and sighed deeply. He left the room and sealed it off once more. Before going to the other murder scene he decided on visiting the SeeDs in the impromptu lab that had been set up in the MD level a couple of months ago.

'So what you got so far?' Jayson asked the young blonde girl at a microscope as he slipped the envelopes on her desk.

She looked up at him from the microscope, blinking slightly. 'You?' she gasped.

'Yeah me.' Jayson said grinning. 'I'm taking over the Seifer case so what does the evidence say so far?' he asked.

'Well these supposed hairs of Seifer's were shed not pulled out... but they seem older than the few days we're looking at.' She told him.

'Well that's a start. Are you the only one here?' he asked casually.

'At the moment. The others are busy combing crime scenes over the world. We've been pretty busy since Commander Squall decided to develop a forensic lab.' She replied.

He then pulled out the photographs he had developed. 'Can you work out how the attacks happened from the blood spatter? Also the files said there was no trace of blood on any of Seifer's clothes, admittedly they could've been burnt but we all know he treasure's his possessions especially that coat of his. Would it be possible for him to have attacked either of those girls avoiding the amount of blood that seems to have been bled whilst shedding fibres of jacket? I assume that means he wasn't wearing anything to cover it if he was there.' Jayson asked whilst telling her his own ideas.

'Well the fibres did get there by frictional transfer which means, yes he would've had his jacket exposed and the fibres matched those of the jacket he was wearing at the time he was arrested but we found no traces of blood on it.' She told him.

'So we can say it was true he had been there but not necessarily during the murders. Do you think I'd be right in suggesting that the evidence shows that Seifer had been present in the rooms but not the murders? There's no trace of him on the bodies... the only thing linking him to the murders is his Firecross.. but anyone could've done that.' Jayson mused aloud.

'Well he wasn't officially arrested... just that when they were found people saw his symbol and went berserk.' She told him.

'Typical mob.' Jayson muttered. 'Well thanks a lot... uh...' he fumbled.

'Lin.' She filled in for him.

'Right Lin. Get back to me on what I brought in if you don't mind.' He told her walking out the door.

'No problem!' she called out to him as the door closed.

As Jayson took the elevator back up to the ground floor and went looking for Meia, a plan started to form in his head. It would be a risky plan, the responsibility being solely his, but if he could pull it off then he could prove beyond doubt that Seifer was innocent.

He stopped walking towards the Cafeteria and headed back to the lift and took it to the second floor where Squall's office lay.

Squall looked up from his desk as Jayson entered the room.

'Anything wrong?' Squall asked.

'Not really... finding lots of tenuous evidence for Seifer's innocence but so far nothing conclusive. I have an idea as to how to prove it however.' Jayson told him as he walked across to the desk.

Squall looked up at him. 'And what's that?' he asked.

'We give the killer a reason to make an appearance.' Jayson replied.

Squall's eyes flashed briefly in realisation. 'You mean...' he said softly.

'We let Seifer go and see if the killer tries striking again.' Jayson said bluntly.

'That's rather risky. The students will attack Seifer and there's a chance another girl might die. Besides if another murder happens Seifer will be blamed for sure.' Squall replied.

'I know but firstly we'll have SeeDs we trust guarding the dorms and secondly I'll guard "Seifer".' Jayson told him.

Squall frowned at Jayson's strange way of saying Seifer. 'What am I missing?' he asked bluntly.

Jayson smiled. 'The fact that Seifer won't really be free... we just make everyone believe he is.' He explained beaming.

'Then if it works why would they believe that Seifer is innocent?' Squall asked cautiously.

'Because we'll have people watching him in his cell who'll testify to that and hopefully we'll have the real killer.' Jayson said.

Squall sighed in resignation. 'Fine and how do we get them to believe Seifer is free? We can't just let him out for a little while and put him back the killer will probably notice that, besides it'll be cruel to Seifer.' Squall told him.

'Leave that to me... I just need some of his blood.' Jayson told him.

'Fine I'll see what I can do... I won't ask what you intend to do with it, I probably won't like the sound of it.' Squall said making a note.

'Thank you sir.' Jayson replied quickly saluting and left the office, shutting the door quietly leaving Squall to mull over the plan whilst trying to sort out his own paperwork.


	5. Decoy

Jayson finally made it to the Cafeteria where he found Meia idly playing with her food as she stared off into space. 'Not hungry huh?' Jayson said softly breaking her reverie.

'Kinda got distracted.' Meia replied dropping her fork. 'So how did it go?' she asked softly as he sat down in the chair beside her.

'Well so far it's looking good for Seifer but there's nothing solid... hopefully that'll change tonight.' Jayson told her.

'Why what's happening?' Meia asked.

'I'm going to get the killer to show themselves.' Jayson said in a whisper.

Meia's mouth opened in a silent O.

'I'll explain later. First I need something.' He said softly.

'Do you have to go get it?' Meia asked sadly.

'No Squall will probably send it me.' He told her and noticed how she cheered up.

'So what do you want to do until then?' he asked her.

They were interrupted as Lin came running over, panting slightly.

'Are you okay?' Jayson asked her as she took a deep breath.

'Yeah.' Lin replied smiling and then handed him a small vial wrapped in foil.

'Squall told me to give you this.' She explained.

'That was fast.' Jayson replied.

'Yeah well I had some spare.' Lin replied her cheeks fading from red.

'It is his right?' Jayson said just to be sure.

Lin gave him a brief scowl. 'Of course.' She retorted.

Jayson gave her a disarming smile. 'Just checking.' He told her.

'Fine I have to get back to work.' Lin said and strolled off.

'Later!' Jayson called after her friendily.

'Who was that?' Meia asked glancing at the vial.

'Lin... she's going through the stuff I collected on the murders... why? Do I detect some jealousy there?' he teased.

'Just wondering.' Meia replied sticking her tongue out at him.

'Careful or I might grab that.' Jayson said grinning making her quickly pull it back in.

'So what is that anyway?' Meia asked.

'Seifer's blood.' Jayson said softly.

'And why do you need that?' Meia asked puzzled.

'To make a Seifer decoy.' Jayson replied grinning as Meia's brow creased in puzzlement and she mumbled to herself 'Huh?'

'You'll see.' Jayson said simply and slipped the vial into his pocket before taking Meia by the hand and helping her up.

Jayson led Meia back to his room where he shut the door behind them.

'So...?' Meia asked after a moments silence.

'Watch.' Jayson told her and closed his eyes.

A second later Orion, Jayson's permanently resident GF, appeared in his human form, a sort of fashionably attired Aladdin type figure with long feathery white hair, orange-yellow eyes with black pin-point pupils and a pair of feathery wings on his back which ruffled.

'What?' he said sleepily and then noticed Meia and smiled.

'How's Siren?' he asked grinning.

'Never mind that.' Jayson said quickly. 'I have a little job for you.' He added.

'About time. I was getting bored in there.' Orion said sarcastically.

'Good now drink this.' Jayson said handing Orion the vial.

Orion popped the top off the vial and sniffed it. 'Who's blood is this?' he asked.

'Seifer's.' Jayson replied simply.

'Why am I not surprised?' Orion retorted and drank the blood in a single gulp.

'I'm glad I wasn't able to taste that.' He said wryly, his wings shuddering and then fading as he changed form.

Meia gasped as Orion became Seifer before her eyes. 'How?' she asked in disbelief.

'Just a little trick of mine.' Orion said in Seifer's voice.

'So you can look like anyone you want?' Meia asked as she looked him up and down.

'Only if I've had their blood.' Orion replied.

'I guess it's time we let people see you.' Jayson said softly and opened the door walking out ahead as Orion followed.

They were aware of the shocked gazes and the hushed conversations as they made their way to Squall's office. Once there they filed in quickly shutting the door behind them making Squall look up from his desk once more and do a double take.

'Seifer?' he said paling slightly.

'In a way.' Orion replied.

Squall's brow creased in confusion.

'This is basically a doppelganger... kind of like the one who took the form of President Deling when you was on your mission.' Jayson explained.

'You got one of them zombie things in?' Squall asked in horror and disgust.

'No. This is my Gf Orion. One of his abilities is to take the form of anything he takes the blood of, kind of like how a Moomba remembers people.' Jayson told him.

Squall relaxed. 'I see... and people have seen him?' he asked.

Jayson nodded.

'Right. Well I've arranged for Selphie, Xu, Nida and Zell to guard the dorms tonight and I've a couple of good SeeDs keeping an eye on the real Seifer.' Squall told him.

'Good. Me and Meia will check up on them during the night.' Jayson told him and ignored the look Meia gave him.

'Anything else?' Squall asked.

'No that should be all, I hope.' Jayson said softly and turned to leave, Meia and Orion following.

'Time to see your fans.' He said softly to Orion as they left the office.

Jayson wasn't wrong as by the time they had reached the ground floor in the lift there was a crowd of SeeDs and cadets around it hissing and yelling.

'Get back! Leave him alone!' Jayson yelled to them as he pushed his way out the lift doors.

'Murderer!!' came the angry chant in reply.

'Seifer's innocent until proven otherwise.' Jayson yelled back.

'Whatever!' a nearby cadet jeered back throwing a stone at Orion.

Jayson caught it out the air clenching it in his fist.

'Look you lot I know you're angry and have a grudge against Seifer but if you don't clear off I'll be forced to make you go!' Jayson told them all.

The crowd fell silent at his threats but only because they were now annoyed at him, a couple of SeeDs breaking from the crowds and facing him.

'That we'd like to see.' One of them said sneering.

Jayson waved Meia and Orion behind him with his empty hand and with his clenched fist he opened it, dust from the crushed stone dropping from his hand.

'I suggest you curb your curiosity.' Jayson replied.

'Oh really?' the other SeeD retorted as the others watched the confrontation in silence.

Jayson stood glaring at them waiting for one of them to make the first move. Luckily one of them broke first trying to push him back.

Jayson grabbed his wrist and twisted it up in one sharp motion that made the SeeD's eyes water. The other SeeD then lunged forward, some sort of baton in hand. Jayson pushed the injured SeeD away, who fell over clutching their arm and took the blow on his forearm, the wood cracking against it. The SeeD grinned at the sound thinking he'd broken Jayson's arm but that grin slid away as his baton fell to pieces.

'I guess you don't realise who I am.' Jayson said in a somewhat friendly voice.

'For those of you who don't know, my name is Jayson Croft.' He said aloud. At this there was some murmurings in the crowd.

'Now that you know you might decide to go back to whatever it was you're doing. We all have better things to do... for one I'd like to get to the bottom of all these murders.' He added.

There was some mutterings of 'He's behind you.' From the crowd to which he replied. 'We don't know for sure yet... until then you should all go otherwise it'll be Commander Squall you'll be speaking to and not me.'

At this the crowd slowly dispersed mumbling quietly, the two SeeDs that attacked him having fled already at his name.

'Well that went well.' Jayson said softly to Meia and Orion and the three of them returned to his room.

'So can I go now?' Orion asked as he returned to his normal self behind the privacy of Jayson's bedroom door.

'Sure, your work here is done I guess.' Jayson said and Orion faded, returning to his place in Jayson's mind before his consciousness went off to the GF's realm.

'So what are we going to do for the rest of the day?' Meia asked coyly.

'I'm sure we can think of something.' Jayson replied grinning.

Night came and it was time for them to make their way out to check on the others guarding the girls from whoever was stalking them and accusing Seifer in their place.

Jayson and Meia walked down the corridor of the girls' dorms, checking up on the SeeDs guarding them tonight. So far Selphie, Xu and Nida's posts had been fine, all calm and quiet and they were heading to Zell's section when Jayson noticed him slumped against the wall, his head hanging to one side. They rushed over to him and found him unconscious, his breathing slow and shallow but still there.

'Dammit.' Jayson muttered to himself and looked up and down the corridor wildly for anything out of the ordinary.

Meia gripped his arm and his blood ran cold as there was a fading scream further down the hall. A darkly clad figure slipped out of a door and noticed them and set off at a run.

They chased after the figure down the fluorescently lit hall, Jayson pulling away from Meia and catching up with the darkly clothed figure as they went around the corner.

Jayson was too consumed by rage and guilt to think straight as he charged around the corner and was surprised by the figure as they stabbed him in the chest with a short knife.

'Arrgh!' Jayson gasped in shock, blood filling his mouth. He tried grabbing the figure but was pushed away, the knife handle protruding from his chest as the figure continued running off.

Jayson slumped down the corner falling onto his back as Meia finally caught up.

'Jayson!' she screamed as she noticed the knife embedded in his chest and the blank look in his eyes.

'Nooo!' she yelled falling to her knees by his side.


	6. Crimson

They carried him to the infirmary although there was nothing that could be done for him, the blade having slid between his ribs and punctured his lung and slashed his heart. He was dead before Meia had reached him. She now sat tearfully by his side distraught whilst Squall and Quistis discussed with Dr. Kadowaki what to do next as well as find the murderer who had killed Jayson, the three girls and set up Seifer.

All Meia could think about was how she was safe and warm in his arms such a short while ago, about how long it had taken for her to finally be with him and how it all had been taken away in an instant.

Her head was resting on his still abdomen, tears soaking into his shirt as her grief mixed with her rising rage. Therefore she was unable to notice Jayson's right hand twitch a couple of times and his arm rise to his chest pulling the blade from out of it bloodlessly as he dryly said 'I don't have time for this.'

Meia sat bolt upright in shock, looking down at his hand as it brought the knife to his face, his eyes opening once more, boiling with blue intensity.

'Jayson?' she gasped looking at the thin wound in his chest as it started to heal itself rapidly.

Jayson glanced at her briefly his lips twitching into a slight smile but his focus was taken by the ornate handle of the knife and the symbol it bore on its side.

'You're alive!' Meia shrieked gripping his free hand. 'How!?' she asked through her sobs of joy, her green eyes red and damp from crying.

At this moment Squall and Quistis came rushing into the cubicle having been drawn to it by Meia's shrieks.

Squall gasped and Quistis paled as Jayson sat up, blade in hand with a distant expression.

Jayson blinked slowly, looked from Meia to Squall, to Quistis, back to Meia and then placed his free hand where the tear in his shirt was and looked down.

'Ah... right.' He muttered.

The others still looked at him in silence.

Jayson sighed softly. 'I guess I have to start explaining...' he told them..

'You were dead...' Meia said softly.

'I know...' Jayson whispered.

'But maybe I should talk about this first.' He said out loud raising his hand holding the knife.

'What about it?' Squall asked still muddled by shock like the silent Quistis next to him.

'Well it's further proof that Seifer is innocent, plus it's a clue as to who is behind it and why.' Jayson explained.

'How so?' Quistis finally spoke.

'The emblem is that of the group called Pandora.' He explained.

'Pandora?' Meia asked puzzled.

'A group in support of the Sorceress Adel.' Jayson replied.

'Never heard of them.' Squall said after a moments pause.

It was Jayson's turn to pause as he glanced momentarily at Meia. 'Will she still hold me when she knows what I have done?' he thought in anguish but the looks of all three of them made him realise he had to come clean, to tell them his dark secrets, face his past.

'You wouldn't have.' He replied. 'They haven't been around for eight or so years... I should know I killed them all.' He admitted slowly.

Meia looked at him wide-eyed in disbelief.

'What are you talking about!?' Squall exploded. 'You would've been ten years old then, you wasn't at Garden or in training until you were twelve, there's no way you'd have been able to kill them!' he added.

'I don't believe even you would be able to cold bloodedly kill a group of people even if they did support Adel.' Quistis added.

Jayson smiled faintly. 'It doesn't matter if you believe or not, it's the truth. They died because of what they did to me, because of who I am. To become what I became I had to destroy them all and I could do it without a single pang of guilt.' He told them his voice becoming a snarl.

'I think you're a bit confused, maybe...' Quistis started saying.

'Damn right I'm confused!.' Jayson yelled. 'Pandora should be dead! I remember their bodies clearly. I knew them all, my so called "family".' He spat.

'Family? You said your parents died in the Sorceress War.' Meia said softly.

'That's where it all falls to pieces. My mother died quite recently, Pandora took me in when she was imprisoned when I was an infant. They had to take care of the "special child", prepare him for his destiny. As for my father, he was probably just some genetically engineered sperm created by Odine.' Jayson said bitterly.

'Odine? You were born in Esthar?' Quistis murmured.

'How else would I have ended up in Pandora's clutches? I was a disappoinement anyway, they really wanted a girl... funny really if I had been a girl I'd be a Sorceress now...' Jayson said drifting off distantly.

'Okay I think you should just rest Jayson. It's not everyday you come back from the dead. No doubt it took a lot out of you.' Squall said softly.

He reached over and took the knife from Jayson's unresisting hand.

'I'll take this to the lab and see what we get.' He told him.

'Fine, at least Seifer can go free now though he may need protection... if it really is Pandora then he'll be their next target. The motive's clear now.' Jason said wearily.

'And what's that?' Quistis asked.

'Seifer's the one thing they hate most... a Sorceress' Knight that failed.' Jayson told her softly.

The three of them glanced at each other with mixed looks as Jayson lay back down on the bed muttering softly to himself.

Squall and Quistis left the cubicle and drew the curtain behind them.

'Do you believe him?' Quistis asked softly.

'It sounds far-fetched but we've just witnessed him come back from the dead without magic or items and besides they only work against knock-out not actual death! Sow ho knows what's possible?' Squall replied in a low voice as so not to be heard.

'I supposed... plus no-one has ever known anything of Jayson's past before Garden, I remember Cid referring to him as an enigma. And it partly explains his abilities.' Quistis replied mostly for her own benefit.

'Well we'll soon see what we get from this.' Squall said nodding to the knife. 'And maybe we can get some more out of Jayson... who knows what other secrets he has?' he added.

When Squall and Quistis had left the Infirmary Jayson sat up once more.

'Lie down!' Meia told him.

'You're still here then?' Jayson replied smiling weakly.

'Of course. But why didn't you tell me this earlier? Don't you trust me?' She asked, hurt.

'I thought if you knew my past it'd make you afraid of me, turn you from me.' Jayson told her reaching out to stroke her cheek.

'I thought you were dead, that I'd lost you for good... now you're back there's now way I could leave.' She replied softly.

Jayson leaned in and kissed her softly. 'Good... although there's more I have to tell, a secret so dark that I'm too scared to tell, something I have to explain...' he told her after the kiss.

'Shhh.' Meia replied placing a finger against his lips. 'Tell me tomorrow... for now we both should rest and wait until we've both got our heads straight.' She told him.

'Besides...' she said grinning mischievously. 'All I want to do now is be wrapped up in you.' She told him slipping into the bed on top of him, pushing him onto his back as she placed her hand where his wound had been and sighed contently as he enveloped her in his arms.


	7. The Revelation

He awoke, Meia's copper hair tickling his chin as he tilted his head up. Gently he sat up, Meia's head still resting on his chest as he held her in his arms.

His dreams had been plagued by dark figures and a picture of his deepest fear... Meia running from him afraid, her face deathly white. It was time to tell them who he was or to be honest had been and why Pandora held him captive in his youth.

Squall and Quistis came walking in with solemn faces, not registering any surprise at Meia being in bed with him.

'Morning.' Jayson said softly.

'Morning.' Quistis replied while Squall nodded in reply, pulling a thin folder from behind his back.

'What's that?' Jayson asked.

'Lab reports on the knife. It matches stab wounds on the victims. No prints.' Quistis replied.

'So that means Seifer's free to go right? We have positive proof he's innocent.' Jayson said excitedly.

'Yeah but then he'll be a target. We researched Pandora. Had to drag Odine out of his lab as he seemed the only likely one to know about it.' Squall said softly.

'And?' Jayson asked.

'He was quiet at first, took a few insults for me to get him to slip up.' Squall said grinning.

'He told us pretty much what you said. Supporters of Adel, raising a Sorceress' Knight to set her free. Disappeared eight years ago.' Quistis informed him briefly.

'And that knight killed them... yet how could they still be around to know that and begrudge other knights?' Jayson wondered aloud.

'Are you sure they're all dead? Maybe there were other members you never knew of?' Squall suggested.

'No... they all stayed together out of fear in case Laguna found out about them.' Jayson replied and slid out of bed, laying the sleeping Meia down gently.

'So where does that leave us?' Quistis asked.

'Chasing shadows.' Jayson said darkly.

The two of them left Jayson with their thoughts while they went to present the evidence of Seifer's release to Garden and thought of how best to release him and protect him from this mysterious Pandora.

Again the guilt was on Jayson, his plan for proving Seifer innocent had gone wrong causing a girl's death even though Seifer was free, and it all seemed to be because his past had come sneaking up on him.

Jayson clenched his fist in anger, his body shaking in rage. They should be dead, all of them bastards should be dead. He had mercilessly killed them all, even the children, they were already poisoned by their parents ideals so there was no hope for them and even if there was, no doubt they'd have come after him, cause him more pain as they revenged themselves on him.

Jayson shivered at the thought... could he really have missed someone that night? Someone who now mistook Seifer for him? Jayson stopped dwelling on that train of thought and turned to how to catch the killer.

Meia awoke, her sleepy eyes slamming wide open as her questing hand met cotton sheet rather than warm flesh. She sat up looking around wildly in fear as she spotted Jayson pulling his bloodied shirt off and once again she saw the numerous thin scars across his back.

'Did Pandora do that to him?' she thought.

'You're awake.' Jayson said softly turning to her with a smile pulling a black T-shirt on.

'And you left me alone.' She said in mock hurt, teasing him.

'Well I didn't want to disturb you. Besides you look cute asleep.' He said walking over.

'And you're saying I don't when I'm awake?' she asked pouting and then giggling she grabbed the pillow hitting him with it.

'Hey!' Jayson cried as he raised his arm to block Meia's blows.

He then tugged the pillow from her hands and pulled her to him, pulling her forward as she knelt on the bed, bringing her against his chest, her green eyes looking up into his as he tenderly brushed strands of copper hair from her face.

'Give in?' he asked softly.

'Depends.' She replied grinning.

'Oh really?' he answered grinning in return as he leant in closer.

'Will you two knock it off!?' a voice came from the next cubicle.

Jayson and Meia turned to see Zell pulling aside the curtain dividing the two cubicles, his eyes circled with black and his face unusually pale.

'I got a pounding headache.' He groaned, rubbing his temples.

'Sorry.' Jayson answered letting Meia go.

'Still feeling rough huh?' Meia asked.

'Hell yeah... feels like I got a Behemoth dropped on me.' Zell said with a faint smile.

'So what happened anyway?' he asked.

Jayson and Meia's faces fell at the question.

'They killed another girl?' Zell asked noticing their expressions.

Jayson nodded in reply unable to bring himself to say it.

'Dammit!' Zell snarled, punching the metal pole of the cubicle causing the curtains to vibrate.

'So what about Seifer then?' Zell asked in a slightly calmer voice trying to control his emotions.

'Well he's innocent and should be free though we're worried that the rest of Garden or maybe even the killer themselves will turn on him.' Meia replied sliding off the bed.

'So why are you both here? Kadowaki wouldn't let you come here just to mess about so which of you got hurt?' Zell then asked as if going through some checklist in his head.

'That would be me.' Jayson said softly.

'They knocked you out too?' Zell asked.

'No, stab wound.' Jayson said simply.

'And you're up and about already?' Zell said incredulously.

'I heal fast.' Jayson said with a faint grin.

'Hell yeah you do!' Zell retorted and started swaying, falling forward.

Jayson rushed forward and caught him, Zell steadying himself against Jayson as his eyes focused again.

'I think you should lay down again.' Jayson said softly and helped Zell back to his bed as he agreed weakly.

'We'll keep the noise down.' Jayson told him smiling getting a faint grin in reply.

He pulled the curtain back as he returned to his cubicle where Meia waited.

'Is he okay?' Meia asked softly.

'Yeah just a bit faint I guess. I reckon we should leave him in peace.' Jayson said softly and took Meia's hand.

As they were leaving the Infirmary they bumped into Dr. Kadowaki.

'You're leaving?' she said scornfully.

'Yeah well no reason to stay.' Jayson said brightly. 'By the way, Zell's woke up and seems a bit groggy. We figured he'd want to recover in peace.' He added.

Dr. Kadowaki shook her head gently and let them past, rushing over to see Zell though Jayson was able to see the fear and confusion in her eyes as she brushed past him.

'Great, another person who's changed towards me... maybe if I hadn't become a full fledged SeeD then they'd all treat me the same.' He thought to himself.

'Drifting off again?' Meia teased, nudging him.

'Hmm?' Jayson murmured. 'Sorry just thinking.' He replied.

'I know.' Meia said laughing softly. 'So my room or yours?' she asked winking.

'I think we have other things to do today.' Jayson told her softly.

'Oh...' Meia said disappointedly.

'Pandora's still about, Seifer will be freed into a riot of outrage and it's all my fault.' Jayson said darkly.

'Will you stop with the guilt?' Meia snapped.

Jayson turned to look at her in surprise.

'You didn't know this would happen. All we can do is help fix it. You don't have to take all the responsibility. Who do you think you are? Squall?' Meia ranted, her cheeks glowing red.

Jayson couldn't help but smirk at her.

'It's not funny!' she snapped.

Jayson raised his hands in an act of submission. 'I know... it's just you looked cute.' He replied.

'Smooth talk won't be tolerated either mister.' Meia told him.

'Then what do you want from me?' he replied evenly.

'Maybe some trust... tell me what's going on in that head of yours.' Meia told him.

'You really want to know?' Jayson said glancing around the empty halls.

'I asked didn't I?' Meia said placing her hands on her hips sternly.

'Well for one I'm blaming myself for this because I can't help thinking that they might have mistook Seifer for me, that I finally submitted to her will like I was supposed to.' Jayson told her softly.

'Her who?' Meia asked still looking up into his eyes intently.

'Ultimecia... I was raised to be her Knight through protecting Adel. I came to refuse the plan they had for me, didn't want to be used by some stranger even if they were going to use the face of someone familiar. Ultimecia used Adel once, not long before I was born, to search for Ellone. Ironic since Ellone put Ultimecia in her in the first place. I sometimes wonder if Ultimecia came up with the idea of creating me.' Jayson told her, his voice drifting as he was lost in speculation.

'You said last night you was a disappointment though.' Meia interrupted.

'Well they wanted a female child first, a successor to Adel who would assume Ellone's powers. Ellone herself wasn't suitable to take Ellone's powers. But as you can see I was born and when Adel was imprisoned they decided I would be the one who would free her and be her Knight, fulfil Ultimecia's plan, but I came to resent them all, turned my back on them and their destiny for me. Obviously they didn't like that idea which is why I was forced to kill them.' Jayson explained.

'That's why you said they hate failed knights? Why Seifer was targeted?' Meia asked softly and after a thoughtful pause added. 'Why did they assume you'd be suitable to take Adel's powers if you had been born a girl?'

'Because of my mother... sharing her blood would mean I'd share her potential of being a Sorceress. It should have been guaranteed since she was a Sorceress already...' Jayson said pausing, breaking eye contact as he breathed deeply and finally said. 'She was Adel.'


	8. Flash Of The Past

Meia stood there frozen in the following silence, the empty hall seeming to condense on just the two of them, forming a crystallised world centred on Jayson's revelation.

'Sorceress Adel was your mother?' Meia finally said, her voice faltering.

'Yes.' Jayson said simply, still evading her gaze.

'How can you be sure?' Meia asked, still rocked by the suggestion.

'Oh I'm sure... do you think I'd make it up?' Jayson said bitterly.

'No but you could've been lied to...' Meia said soothingly.

Jayson gave a brief derisorily snort in reply. 'I remember her, I feel her in me, the powers and darkness locked inside. You saw me all those years ago and wondered what could've made me the way I was, well now you know.' He told her.

'So you were locked away in your self enforced loneliness because of your mother?' Meia asked, at loss for anything else to say.

'In a way... she was the most hated and feared individual in the world. A figure of fear and destruction. The world rejoiced when she was gone... if anyone knew the truth about me what do you think would have happened to me?' Jayson told her and then shrugged. 'Not that it mattered, I was still punished for being her son by those who respected and followed her... if they could do that to me then I figured her opponents would do worse. Once I escaped from Pandora I feared I'd be found out, tried so hard to be unnoticed, but my powers found a way out still and now everyone is wondering and afraid of me.'

'That's not true...' Meia said softly.

'I can see it in their eyes... it's the same look I saw in the mirror every morning when I first got here. I massacred a crowd of people all at once when I was a child, I saw the destruction I caused and felt no remorse, only fear that I was going down the path that'd make me just like her. I envied Squall and the others when they made SeeD before me, I was too worried about unmasking my past that I held back... if I'd known what they were to face I would've let myself go and made SeeD, just to have been able to have been in battle against her and kill her myself...' Jayson replied, his eyes burning.

Meia's eyes widened in shock. 'You're not sad she's dead? You're not angry that they killed her only that you didn't do it yourself? She was your mother!' she told him.

'You think I'm heartless? You don't understand. Maybe you should hear my story from the beginning... but not here, somewhere private.' Jayson retorted, walking off briskly, leaving Meia to follow quickly behind.

They returned to Jayson's room where he shut the door behind her and motioned for her to sit on the bed as he leant back against the wall. He closed his eyes and stood in silence, Meia sitting, her legs dangling over the side of the bed, waiting expectantly when Jayson started talking in a flat monotone.

Light, dull white and fluorescent as I first opened my eyes and let out my birth wail. My first memory is my first sight, undulled by the use of Guardian Forces. Odine was there looking through the window of this secret operating theatre, his look of triumph dropping as the midwife announced I was a boy.

'A boy?' a cruel voice asked wearily.

'Yes ma'am.' The midwife answered nervously.

'I suffered this pain for nothing?' the voice asked rhetorically, harshly.

My wails stopped at her voice, my infant mind already attuned to it as I'd developed and even here it was still sharp and cold.

Her greed for power and control had made her more masculine in physique yet there was some femininity left in her face, a small softness that she resented, just like she did me.

She refused to hold me, instead brushing her long red hair from her sweat drenched face as doctors worked to repair the damage I'd caused in my escape from my dark womb. The midwife placed me in a sterile plastic cot and I lay in silence as their words washed over me and I drifted to sleep, the light fading.

No doubt a lot of diplomacy was used in keeping me alive in my first few months. A failure like me wouldn't have been tolerated otherwise. No doubt her supporters convinced her that having a son would provide a most loyal and devoted knight in years to come.

Still my mother remained distant, my day to day care done by numerous nameless servants, always changing as if preventing any attachment. I was only a few months old when I was bundled up in the middle of the night and taken to some strange place. I could sense the fear in all those faceless people around me, the cries of children while I remained silent, unperturbed by this cacophony of emotions. Of course I was only to find out later that this was the formation of Pandora, the supporters of Adel and their families that had fled Esthar in fear after Laguna had imprisoned Adel with the aid of the majority of the Esthar people. They had snatched me just because of who I was, fearing Laguna would kill me, and so they had a hope for the future, a figure to create a leader from and restore their mistress.

Pandora camped in the Salt Lake surreptitiously returning to Esthar to steal food and equipment. And so I was raised in a technological cave cut into the cliffs of salt rock where numerous people came in and out and whispered conversations were held in dark areas.

At eight months when I was able to walk my training for knighthood began. First there was emotional conditioning and brainwashing techniques used on me, trying to mould my impressionable young mind into loyalty to their cause, to instil hatred into me for Laguna Loire and those traitors that had placed my mother in exile. My mind could still remember that cold figure and felt nothing for her, yet pain was inflicted when I failed to comply. Parts of my mind turned inside for safety and I soon learned how to behave convincingly to make them believe I was appropriately conditioned.

They did this to their own children, enforcing their own views and beliefs on them through reinforced teachings. They didn't suffer as much as me, but then they had no reason to resist or disbelieve their parents, they were normal children cut off from a proper society, every other person they met believed in the right of Adel and the evil of Laguna.

Once I seemed to be acting how they wanted me to I was progressed to physical training. Sixteen hours a day of exercise, weapons, tactics, my small frame pushed far beyond tearing limits leaving me exhausted and sore, my sleep troubled by pain as my joints screamed in agony. When I was five and became proficient in the weapons I was taught the physical training became lessened to eight hours a day and my cultural conditioning began.

Until now my life had been centred on the men of Pandora, whose names I never knew as I always had to refer to them as "Sir" or a pseudonym. Except for him, he who was the head of Pandora, he who had been looking and inspecting me my whole life, inflicting pain when I failed to meet his high standards; Kazen Orca.

Kazen had been Adel's right hand man, pretty much overseeing the running of all aspects of Esthar, especially the military and now I was his pet project.

For cultural conditioning I was allowed to mix with the other children and met some of the female members of Pandora. Here we were educated in maths, science, Estharian and other such subjects we would need when we were released into the world again. We were also taught a biased form of Estharian history to instil a form of nationalistic pride in us.

However my training and stature made me stand apart from the other children. My musculature was well defined and I was taller, more imposing than the others. Not only that but I had already isolated myself from the world of other people and so the others were wary of me, avoiding me in class and in the living areas. Fearful of me and in awe of what I was.

As Kazen hoped and expected, I excelled in the intellectual aspects of their teachings as I had the physical training, surpassing the other children my age and leading to further segregation as I was placed with the slightly older children who in their petty jealousy, taunted me, picking on any little trait the separated me from them.

By the age of seven they had nothing more to teach me and so I was removed from the other children, much to my relief as my mind had been burned and scarred by their cruelty, I never asked to be this way, why did they torment me so?

However I was soon wishing to be returned to those dark days as Kazen had decided it was time to awaken my latent abilities. It was then Odine was called in. although he was affiliated with Pandora and was working under Laguna, he still remained neutral politically, only caring about his research which was why Pandora knew they could trust him, After losing Ellone, Odine was just dying to get his hands on some other special child.

I sat calmly throughout his probing, various little pads and rods passed over my body and attached to my head as Odine gleamed over the readings. For saying how well Odine came to know my physiology, it's funny he didn't recognise me recently, though I went to much lengths to change who I was.

I never knew what Odine found out about me that day until much later since I was taken away by one of the anonymous ones as he and Kazen discussed it.

Kazen came to me early next morning ordering me form my bed and to a square room deep in the Pandora complex. It was a seven foot box, padded from wall to wall and as I entered I froze as I noticed the chains and a table of implements.

Hands grabbed me and pulled me to the chains, locking me up in silence so that I stood there my limbs outstretched.

They left me alone with Kazen who approached the table of implements and told me in his dry voice. 'It's time you learnt to use what's in your blood.'

My eyes widened as he came over holding a short knife emblazoned with the sign of those of Pandora, the box and crystal pillar. He tore my shirt from me exposing my torso and arms and cut away the legs of my trousers exposing my legs. He then stood by me as I pulled on the chains frantically.

'Enough!' he snapped, grabbing my chins and tilting my head up so I could se his burning brown eyes.

'You must learn to endure the pain or you will never save your mother or lead us to freedom and redemption. You should not fear injury as you will learn to heal yourself, it is in your blood.' Kazen told me, releasing his tight grip.

I relented in my struggles aware that Kazen controlled me, I was too small to fight back and so I let my mind drift deep into my head where the darkness surrounded me and my body became sort of detached as I watched what was being done to it as if it wasn't mine.

Kazen began to cut my flesh, small shallow cuts that over the daily sessions got deeper and became scars that added to those I had gained during my forced battles against the monsters of the Salt Lake.

Other implements were used; whips, serrated blades, blunt objects, pliers, all inflicting pain that caused me to return to my body from my hiding place as I desperately tried to lock I all away, all the while Kazen yelled and snarled at me to concentrate, to force my body to heal itself, unlocking what it held within.

Years of this torture passed and no one in Pandora did a thing about it, I was given no sympathy only harshness as I failed to fulfil their need. I was starting to rebel, resenting them all as I withdrew deeper in the darkness of my mind as the pain was increased, blood oozing from my scarred torso as Kazen lay into me. He wouldn't give up his dream for me even if I argued against it, refused to comply.

It was when I was ten that I had my epiphany. After being led back to my cell after another gruelling and disappointing "Awakening" session as Kazen blithely referred to it, I lay on the stuffed sack that was my bed, leaking blood and noticed that a wound on my shoulder was closing up rapidly and faded. I hadn't been thinking or concentrating on it, maybe exhaustion was what enabled me to stop my mind getting in the way, allowing my subconscious to tell my blood what to do.

I watched in exhilaration as all the other wounds followed suit and disappeared too. I sat up and ran my hands over my body and they came away blood free... I could heal my wounds just like Kazen had told me. It was then I realised that this power was finally the key to my freedom. If I couldn't be hurt then I had nothing to fear. Tonight I would leave for good and I'd make sure Pandora wouldn't follow.


	9. Flashback To The Present

For all their knowledge and fear of what I could do, Pandora was so callous about security, or they assumed I would be so weakened by their punishment and cowered by Kazen's will that I would remain wherever they placed me. Fools, didn't their whole plan for me hinge on the fact that I'd forcibly take back Esthar for them?

That night I dressed in the loose fitting black clothes I wore when out in the Salt Lakes battling. The clothes were so designed to test my fighting abilities and resistance to heat and moisture loss in the hot sun out there and they were the only undamaged clothes I owned.

I slipped out into the cold stone tunnels to the armoury. A single guard known to me as Abe was a minor distraction, a simple twist of the neck and he was taken care of. I left him slumped by the door as I broke the door open with my shoulder. Inside the room lay rack upon rack of the weapons I had held in my hands at one time or another. I selected a sword and a few daggers, my weapons of choice ever since.

As I passed Abe's lifeless form on my way out I realised he had family out in the caves somewhere. A cold mirthless laugh passed my lips as I told him they'd be with him soon enough.

I headed towards the main cavern of Pandora's complex, the communal room. Kazen's habit of control even stretched to the structure of the lifestyle of the other members of Pandora which meant they'd all be there now for the evening meal, which suited my purpose fine.

As I walked down the smoothed walled passage I saw the doors opening, the meal was over and it was time for them to return to whatever it was they did in this Hyne forsaken pit. The darkness of the passage wasn't illuminated enough by the light that burst from the open doors as I charged, sword in hand like a vengeful shadow of Death, the blade slicing through the first group of people.

Those behind them could only gasp in surprise as bodies fell apart in front of them, blood washing over they feet. My blood slick blade swung up and cut down the next wave as confusion coursed back into the crowd. People ran back into the room clutching their screaming children, in their fear not realising they were trapped as I stalked over the corpses and closed the double doors, barring them behind me.

It had only taken me a moment to kill six people, a fact that excited me as the rest realised that their weapon had turned on them.

Three dozen people remained, half of them children, those wretches that scorned me now tearful and wide-eyed. The adults turned to look at Kazen who had gone white in fury.

'Omen, what is the meaning of this?' he finally yelled at me, slamming his fists on the long wooden table.

'You old fool, you can't control me, you never had. I will not be your knight, only your angel of death.' I retorted, my young voice sharp and strong as I brandished my blade.

Kazen grinned in a warped way. 'Not even you could kill us all, my dear Omen.' He said softly.

'I think I could, I guess I should thank you for that.' I replied sarcastically.

'Restrain him.' Kazen said curtly and all the men detached from the walls approaching me warily, some picking up knives from the tables and smashing chairs to provide weapons to protect them.

Their resistance was futile, my sword cleanly cutting the first three to rushing in at me.

I leapt onto the table, the women and children running in fear to the corner as the six remaining men surrounded the table, Kazen however remained where he was at once angry and amazed in what he had created in me. The men swiped at my legs but I jumped their clumsy blows. I had surpassed my teachers long ago in combat which was why they sent me out to dispatch monsters, hadn't they realised that yet? Another swipe of my sword, another corpse created, a fountain of blood from a severed carotid artery and gurgle and thrash as life expired.

Still the others cowered, the fear growing and consuming them so much that none thought to unbar the door so they could run. What were they waiting for? Kazen's word?

I tired of playing with these foolish men who thought they could subdue me. A flip from the table and a single broad arc of my arm and three more were no more, their flesh yielding to metal like any other. My guards and jailers were mere humans now, no more could they hold me captive.

A sharp pain caught me in the shoulder as I had landed. It seemed that one of the remaining men had got a lucky swipe in as I felt the blood trickling down my back, my top flapping loosely where I had been torn. However they watched in shock as the wound healed by itself giving me idle time to stab him in the gut in retaliation, twisting the blade and then tugging it out, eviscerating him. The blood drained from his dying visage in synchrony with Kazen's as he muttered softly 'It has awoke...'

It was just me and the remaining man, should've figured it'd be Zadel, the man who first showed me how to use the blade. Funny how his face would show a mixture of pride and fear as he squared off against me, the poor man held only a long staff of wood, torn from the back of a chair yet it was no time for sympathy. As with the others I cut him down with a single flick of my wrist, my face an impassive mask.

I strode over the strewn corpses around me and headed to the cowering masses, leaving Kazen to stand quivering and imprisoned by his fear. The women screamed at me to spare the children, show them mercy and so I did. Every swing of my blade came at head height for the children, ending their existence instantly. The women were not slaughtered so quickly for they were hacked up as they tried to cover their children from the blows, something they had never done for me, which made my rage intensify. After all the carnage I turned to face my nemesis, the man who inflicted so much agony. I grinned sardonically as I reached for a dagger, the grin made all the worse by the blood that spattered my face.

Kazen stood there, his brown eyes faded, his body still shaking feverishly as if he had broken down. There was no pleading, no sound at all as I threw the knife, the blade plunging into his eye. Kazen threw his hands up to his face as he screamed in pain, the force of impact knocking him back over his chair and sprawling to the ground where his screams were instantly cut off. His body lay still on the ground after a few last twitches of his hands as blood oozed from his eye socket. I let out a sigh of relief and in a final act of rebellion, wiped my sword clean on Kazen's body. The deed had been done and it was time for me to leave this hell and regain my life.

'Kazen called you Omen?' Meia asked as Jayson paused.

'That was then name I was given by Pandora.' Jayson said dryly.

'I see... then what happened?' Meia asked enrapt and fascinated by this story of the past she never knew.

I spent the next year and a half getting as far away from Esthar as possible. This involved walking across the railway tracks and through Fisherman's Horizon to the Galbadian continent. I pilfered what I needed to survive, keeping a low profile as I passed through F.H and Timber.

It was in Timber I was taken in for a while by one of the resistance groups running errands for them. It was during that time that I heard that Esthar had disappeared, severing contact from the world. I also learned about Garden and SeeD, ambivalent mercenaries created from children, mostly those that had been orphaned or abandoned. The rebels assumed I was feral as I didn't talk much and from the numerous scars I'd amassed. However they respected my ability to slay monsters and my right to privacy and so refrained from asking about my past. The more I heard of Garden, the more it intrigued me. I knew of the Garden to the north but I was sickened by the similarity of Deling's dictatorship to my mother's that I didn't want to be that close to Deling City. The isolation of Balamb Garden appealed to me and so I left the rebels and stowed away on a train to Balamb Island still carrying the sword I'd destroyed Pandora with.

In Balamb town I quickly vanished, heading to the rounded blue metal towering haven of Garden, wondering how to get in.

My question was answered as I spotted someone in a dark blue uniform fighting a huge monster. I rushed to their aid and leapt onto the monster's back, plunging my sword into the base of its neck. As the monster collapsed the figure could only look at me in awe.

'Who are you?' he asked me.

'Jayson.' I replied, using the name the rebels had given me.

'And your ID number?' he demanded.

'ID number?' I asked, genuinely puzzled.

'You're not with Garden?' the figure commented. 'Are you a soldier?' he snapped raising his weapons, a dagger in each hand.

'No! I came to join Garden... I have nowhere to go!' I said, lying about the last part and pulled my sword from the monster as it dissolved, holding it low and raising a hand in submission.

The figure relaxed, lowering his own weapons. 'Well you do look too young to be a Galbadian, but you handle yourself pretty well kid.' The figure replied.

I let the "kid" slide and asked. 'So how do you join?'

'Well you do have potential... I'll take you to Cid and see what he says, for helping me out.' He told me.

'And your name?' I asked, extending my hand.

'Jaden.' He replied grinning and shook my hand before leading me to Garden.

It was then I met Cid for the first time who was interested in my fighting prowess and seemed to take my background story at face value. He allowed me to sign up and assigned me an ID number.

I think he was disappointed with the progress I made after the promise I showed to start with and I didn't see Jaden again once I settled in.

The studies of weapons were second nature to me so I had no trouble there, what intrigued me most was magic, the studies of which led me to discover I had my own inherent "para-magic" without the need for junctioning of GF's, another unsurprising fact given the Sorceress blood in me and another secret to hide. Luckily no one noticed this and Cid's interest in me waned as he was concerned with Squall's welfare and development what with what was to come although I didn't realise that until now.

Jayson stopped once more, his eyes finally opening and realising how dim the sunlight had become.

'Is that it?' Meia said sadly.

Jayson shrugged. 'What more do you want?' he said, forcing a grin.

'Well if you have your own Para-magic why do you have Orion? And where did you get him from anyway?' Meia asked, stretching her limbs lazily.

'Yeah, how come you left me out?' Orion whined in his head.

'Fine I guess I should tell you that too.' Jayson said sighing.


	10. Orion's Time To Shine

'Well I'm not so sure now if I found Orion or if he found me.' Jayson started, his eyes closing as he started to recount the memory.

I was fourteen then, been at Garden for two years and was progressing at a reasonable rate, trading my sword for a gun-blade and taking up martial arts on top, although I never came across Zell, he was in the ordinary rather than supplementary classes. I was still a shadow, unable to get close to anyone, almost flinching at others' touches if there ever was any.

All the energy I had pent up inside was expelled in the Training Centre or the forests of Balamb. My first forays into using my own magic lead to the barbeque of numerous Caterchipillars as I unwittingly used a Firaga spell that went out of control. After that I became more careful, only using magic we were taught in class so I still don't know what lurks inside me.

Due to the few GFs that cadets are permitted to use I spent a lot of time without a GF junctioned to me which served to keep my memories intact and enabled them to plague my dreams.

It was during one of my lonesome strolls that I came across Orion. I was up on the plateau of the cliffs behind Garden where I figured I'd have more peace, no other students or monsters to interrupt my contemplations. However I received a visit in the form of a flurry of feathers as Orion came crashing down before me, his wings outstretched and hissing through his beak. At first I thought he was attacking me and so raised my Revolver ready to strike, and then noticed the blood. There was a shrill cry in the sky and a gust of wind swept my hair from my face as I looked up to the dragon.

'Junction me...' the weak voice called in my head, making me look down at Orion as he was collapsed on his knees, looking beseechingly with his eagle eyes.

I didn't take much time in deciding, the idea of having my own GF, a companion, a stabilising voice in my head, seemed a good one. Besides I didn't want him to die or die myself, the dragon above looked a lot more dangerous than anything I'd faced before.

I quickly nodded consent, Orion fading and taking up place in my mind, the warmth growing briefly and then wasting away as Orion became part of my own cold mind.

I blinked as the transition came to an end and a shrill cry brought my attention back to the danger above. The dragon was an emerald green, its scales glistening in the sunlight as its two pairs of leathery wings flapped in a slow rhythm keeping it hovering as its dark eyes looked down at me in contempt. Its muscular legs dangled beneath it, the knees bending in time with the wings' movement, claws stained with scarlet blood.

With Orion safe inside me, I took up a defensive stance and waited for the dragon to swoop. It dropped suddenly from the sky, claws flexed ready to grasp, and I jumped to the side, running my blade across its chest as its wings knocked me back.

The blade simply scraped against the scales, metal sparks flying, clouds of dust pluming around my feet as I slid backwards.

Its wings flapped once more, the gust of air throwing dust my way as it folded its wings onto its back and struck out with one of its front legs. Blinded by the dust I was lucky to catch its claws against my blade forcing it back.

'What the hell is this?' I asked my new little mental lodger.

'Emerald dragon.' Came the reply.

'Right and any ideas how I kill it?' I asked scathingly as another swipe came my way, blinking furiously to regain my sight.

'Go for the joints in its limbs.' Was the answer I got and so that's what I did.

I slid under its next swipe on my knees, ending up under its chest as it reared up to look down at me, its long neck bending down and jaws snapping.

I slashed at its armpit, this time the blade sliding between the thick scales and cutting into flesh. The dragon roared, staggering back on its back legs, wings flapping to keep balance as I rose, swinging at the base of the wings shearing them off, dark red blood gushing from the wound.

This time the dragon shrieked, toppling to one side as it lost its balance, falling down on its side, crumpling the wings on that side with sickening crack of bone.

It flailed its neck weakly at me, snapping angrily with a gnashing of teeth as I stood panting.

'You up for ending this?' I asked simply, lowering my gun-blade as the dragon tried to struggle to its feet.

I felt him grin inside my mind and so summoned him, watched him soar into the sky on blood stained wings and dropped down on the whining dragon's body, his talons slamming into its scales, piercing them and then tore out the dragon's throat with his beak, flesh hanging from the hooked end as he shrieked in delight.

The dragon slumped and started to dematerialise into blackness, and he turned towards me, his eyes gleaming.

'Looks like we'll get along.' I said smiling. 'So what do you call yourself?' I asked.

'Orion.' The reply reverberated inside my head.

'Jayson' I replied and held out my hand to which he rose a talon and I shook it.

Following this he returned to my mind and made himself at home, he hasn't left me since then apart from when I lent him to you.

'So how long did it take for you to bond?' Meia asked intrigued.

'A couple of months... I mean I was still reclusive, even if he was in there able to read my thoughts there were some things I kept hidden from him and still do. He only found out about Adel being my mother the same time as you...' Jayson replied sitting beside Meia on the bed.

'Why did you hide that from him?' Meia asked puzzled, sliding her arm round his.

'GFs are particular about who uses them. If I remember correctly it was the Great Sorceress Hyne who called most of them here in the first place and they were abused in cases by later Sorceress' so they're wary of anyone with Sorceress blood in them.' Jayson explained.

'Wouldn't he be able to sense it in you anyway? I mean you have your own para-magic... surely he'd realise what that meant?' Meia added, nuzzling his shoulder.

Jayson sighed softly his body tingling as her nose and lips brushed his neck, making the hairs on his nape stand up excitedly. 'If he did then he never mentioned it, I never showed any inclination of mistreating him, though he may of complained at the lack of his use at times. I guess I just feared if he knew where I'd come from he'd leave me and after getting close to him I didn't exactly want to lose my best friend.' Jayson said softly.

'Awww...' Orion said sarcastically in his head.

Jayson's shoulders shook as he snorted with a sharp burst of laughter.

'What?' Meia asked pulling away in surprise looking at him.

'Nothing... just Orion.' Jayson replied pulling her back in to him.

'Is that why you fear getting close to people in the first place? That when you get close they'll see something evil in you and leave?' Meia asked her jaw rubbing against his upper arm as she spoke.

'I guess... though if Orion did leave I might regain the memories he took away... if there are any...' Jayson said slowly, running his hand up and down her back.

'Hey!' Orion exclaimed slightly hurting.

'I was kidding!' Jayson replied soothingly in his thoughts.

'Well they say prolonged use of GFs does that, look at what happened to Squall and the others...' Meia murmured softly, her eyes closing as the motion of Jayson's hand relaxed her.

'Yeah but I remember as far back as my birth and there aren't any glaring gaps in any of my memories.' Jayson said slowly.

'Then don't worry about it.' Meia told him and turned to look at him, her eyes opening again as she turned his face to hers, getting closer and closer so they were level and she then kissed him, tenderly at first and then getting more passionate.

Jayson slid his hands under her top and slowly up her back, caressing her back and spine with his fingers. He had opened up to her, shared his darkest secrets with her and she hadn't run, she had embraced him and now he knew he could let himself go a little.

'Think you could give us a little privacy?' he told Orion with jumbled thoughts as Meia's tongue sliding between his lips mixed up their clarity.

'I'm gone.' Orion said, the sensation of his grin looming large in his mental habitat before he faded away and left the two of them to it.

Meia's own hands reciprocated the movements of Jayson's, sliding up the toned muscle of his abdomen and along his smooth chest, pushing the fabric of his shirt up with it. As their kisses became more passionate, their touches became more frantic and hungry, Jayson pushing Meia down gently onto the bed, clothes taken off exposing more flesh for them to excite and explore, all barriers between them gone and now they were ready and needed what was to come.


	11. Morning Of Despair

He lay in the bed, darkness surrounding him as Meia lay beside him, her arm reaching over him as her head rested on his bare chest, sleeping silently, warm breaths caressing his skin. He was still awake, still too exhilarated to sleep. After they had made love they had just lay there, exhausted, collapsed in each others' arms, holding each other close as if the instant that they no longer touched meant it had never happened. They didn't speak a word, their hands doing their talking for them as they slowly and lazily caressed each other, savouring the moment, the intimacy.

Meia had finally drifted to sleep, leaving him to gaze at the ceiling with all these thoughts and sensations whirring through his body. He had been amazed about how easily that they had fit together, how little awkwardness there was for saying it was their first time, his first time ever. But his treacherous mind marred the marvel of all this as it crept up on him and reminded him of what was still out there, what he still needed to do. He gripped Meia tighter as he tried to ignore all this, trying to keep the memory of this night fresh in his thoughts and lock it inside him forever. He closed his eyes willing himself to sleep, waiting for the adrenalin to leech away and let the oxytocin do its job, the curse of all men post coitus, the lull of sleep.

He awoke without even realising that sleep had come, the pale light of dawn creeping into his eyes as they opened, his body still wrapped up in Meia as she slept. There had been no dreams, just blackness of the seemingly instantaneous passage of time. Things had changed between them now in a way that was so good he couldn't describe. He had given himself over to her completely and she had taken him, giving herself back in return. They were bonded by more than lust and love, by need and desire. He lay listening to her breathing, the slow thumping of her heart against his chest as she lay on him, his mind overwhelmed by the sensation of this intimacy with her, something that had been kept from him for a long time. Then came the dark creeping up and reminding him of what was to come and how that would disrupt this sense of peace he had found with her.

He slid out from under her gently, leaving her to sleep peacefully as his mind whirred in paranoia. He wanted to be there when she awoke but he had this strange feeling that he would have to leave her again, this thing becoming some sort of destructive habit that he wanted to break.

He couldn't get rid of the creepy sensation that caressed his spine making him shiver and so he dressed, deciding to walk it off.

The corridors were silent now but how long would that last once Seifer was finally free to walk them too? He had proved his innocence yet at a dear cost… no doubt Garden would want his recklessness punished, maybe they would hate him like they hated Seifer?

That thought made him shiver, indifference had always been a better option than hatred to him when it came to the way others saw him. He could feel it in the air, something was going to happen and it would be soon. Either the students would come for Seifer or the murderer themselves would finish what they had started. Either way Jayson felt powerless against this wave he felt approaching. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop it crashing down on him; he'd just have to hope that he could stand as it tried to wash him away.

The silence faded away as the sound of waking voices drifted into the corridors. The inhabitants of the dorms were rising and they knew what had happened by now, Seifer was proved innocent but a girl had to die and it was his entire fault. He couldn't just shrug the guilt off, not even by realising that he had no doubt saved the lives of countless other girls now that there was no reason to believe that Seifer was guilty. The murderer had failed in bringing Seifer down if that had been their intention but they still had other means of destroying him.

Jayson wanted this all over now; he wanted Pandora or whoever was pretending to be that bunch of lunatics gone, their shadow no longer looming over him but he knew that would never be unless either they or Seifer were dead and Jayson wouldn't be able to rest unless he could see Pandora's bodies himself.

His head was down, looking at the metallic floors of the corridors of Garden as he let his feet take him wherever they felt they wanted to go, unaware of the space that opened around him as he steeped out from the dormitory, unaware of a pair of eyes that watched his steps for a while and then left him to himself once more.

'Jayson!' a voice called out to him as he continued his aimless wandering.

Jayson finally looked up, woken from his thoughts and looked around puzzled, confused by his surroundings.

He saw Seifer come walking towards him, his face covered in dark stubble and his eyes darkened by restlessness.

'Finally out then?' Jayson said stating the obvious.

'Hell yeah. Thanks to what you did for me!' Seifer said smiling.

'What?' he asked as he saw Jayson's sullen face.

Jayson then told him about the girl who had died the night he should've been guarding them and that Seifer might be next.

Seifer whistled hoarsely. 'Damn, they never told me about her…' he said softly. 'They told me to keep an eye out for suspicious people, I figured they meant people here who wouldn't like the idea of me being free.' He added.

'No there's much worse out there.' Jayson said darkly.

'And we'll get them, don't worry.' Seifer said brightly trying to cheer him up.

He knew that trying to absolve him of any guilt he felt over the girl's death would be useless but provocation of anger at the one who had done it was a better tactic. It usually worked for him.

'You've never said a truer word.' Jayson said, giving Seifer a faint grin as his fist clenched momentarily.

There was a soft explosion causing Jayson to duck and roll as smoke filled the hall.

'Seifer?' he called out as the thick, black fog consumed him, blinding him.

Sounds were muffled but he could make out the faint noise of a scuffle and headed that way, flailing with his arms in the hope that they would connect with something, anything.

So this was what he had felt coming, there was no fear in his mind as the smoke enveloped all his senses, cutting him off from his immediate surroundings, only rising anger and a slight worry as he failed to locate Seifer.

Moments later the smoke cleared enabling him to see, his lungs burning as he coughed urgently. Seifer was gone, the hall empty as it had been when he had first strolled blindly into it. There was no blood, which he took as a good sign, meaning Seifer was still alive… for now.

He blinked the smoke-induced tears from his eyes as his vision cleared and he was able to see a white note pinned to the wall in front of him. He clenched his jaw angrily as he read the words written in neat handwriting.

"Come to the Quad alone or the failure of a Knight will die.

If you wish for him to live you'd better hurry"

The note was brief but it would have to be since Seifer had just been released and it was the first time he had been out in the open since he had been stabbed last night, which meant that whoever it was had been after him all along and had mistaken Seifer for him which was why they did what they did to him. But now they knew he had died and come back and who he really was. Another thought hit him as he realised all this. Whoever it was had to fit in at Garden, had to be here all the time to be able to see him and realise just who he was. Someone who had been trusted as a member of Garden had betrayed them, had been Pandora all along but who?

Jayson decided he'd may as well go and find out, even if they had set a trap for him. But first he'd need Fixxer, there was no way he'd head into a definite confrontation unarmed when he didn't know exactly what he was up against.

He strode back to his room, turning the handle slowly and letting himself in silently so not to disturb Meia. He didn't want here to know, didn't want her involved in this and hurt or to worry about him. He took Fixxer off his desk and strapped it to his thigh in its accustomed place. He was in too much of a rush to put on some gloves or grab a couple of daggers, Seifer's life was at risk, he knew it. Besides the way he was feeling Fixxer would be all he needed.

As he left the room, Meia heard him go, and feeling cold began to stir.


	12. Pandora's Box

He entered the Quad intrepidly, his eyes darting around the bends in the open corridors as he approached the stage erected in the large open space at the end of the corridor. The figure dressed in black stood before the stage, their arm wrapped tightly around Seifer's throat, a blade pressed against his flesh whilst the other held his hands behind his back.

Jayson could see the anger in Seifer's eyes at the helplessness of this situation and his eyes flashed with an unknown emotion as Jayson came into the faint light before them.

The figure had removed their hood and he could see their face at last, one that chilled him to the bone as if it was a ghost… surely it was?

'Illyssa?' he whispered hoarsely.

'So it is you then… I was wrong in thinking that this worthless excuse for a Knight was you Omen.' She replied softly.

'You should be dead…' Jayson answered, his fingers flexing slightly as he thought of a way to free Seifer safely.

'Not without a lack of you trying…' Illyssa snapped bitterly, tilting her head slightly to one side showing Jayson the red livid scar that ran along the side of her neck.

'I was lucky to have been sheltered enough from your blade to only get this… you however had a blade in your heart and still stand, and you say I should be dead?' she said mockingly, tightening her grip on Seifer.

'Even if you survived that, you were still too young to last on your own who helped you? Who was the one who feed you Pandora's lies and warped you so that you'd come here intent on destroying a stranger?' Jayson demanded trying to work out how this could be, wondering if he had lied to himself about Pandora really being dead and buried as he had left them.

'I believed he was you, thought you had returned to your mother but he failed her, he let Mistress Adel die. And after the slaughter you had caused to the rest of us I couldn't let that be.' Illyssa said.

'There's no way you could've done this alone, someone had to have been guiding you, never letting you forget the past and Pandora's duty but who could that have been I killed them all.' Jayson replied careful not to make any sudden movements as the blade pressed further into Seifer's flesh, making it pale under the pressure.

'You're not as efficient as you believe young Omen…' a dry, hoarse voice said from the shadows, one that sent shivers running down Jayson's spine.

'No…' he said softly as the figure detached from the shadows, approaching Illyssa.

'My daughter was a much better student than you, you disappoint me and the Orca family.' Kazen said, walking slowly with a stout wooden cane, his white hair smooth to his head as he turned to Jayson to fix his one good eye on him, the other covered by a black patch.

'You must be a ghost… a vision to haunt me.' Jayson said bitterly.

'Oh I very much nearly was so if it hadn't been for an old friend of mine who came and found Illyssa and I in critical condition. He was able to get us first class treatment, although he wasn't able to save my eye.' Kazen said, his wiry hands gripping the end of the cane tightly as he gave Jayson a brittle smile.

'Odine…' Jayson growled, his fists clenching as Kazen's smile widened.

Seifer stood in shocked silence as the conversation continued.

'Yes, a marvellous doctor. He was able to keep us hidden from Loire while we recuperated and devoted our time to searching for you. We wanted to bring you back to the family, make you see what you was duty bound to do.' Kazen continued.

'Took you long enough… but Pandora is not my family, it never was.' Jayson said bitterly.

'You seem to misunderstand, Omen, you are of the Orca blood, this is your family and your birthright.' Kazen replied.

Jayson paled. 'You lie!' he snapped.

'Do you not see the likeness of yourself in myself or Illyssa? Odine used my modified sperm to created the best possible specimen for Adel… I was the privileged one to be the donor to our Mistress' cause.' Kazen explained, his eye never leaving Jayson.

'Now I know you're lying. If that was truly the case I would never have been born a male, Adel would have had the daughter she so desired.' Jayson retorted.

Kazen sighed softly and gave a benign smile. 'You fail to realise that this occurred almost two decades ago, Odine wasn't able to perfect the technique. A few Y chromosome bearing sperms were able to contaminate the sample and fate decided that one of those would be the fittest to produce you.' Kazen said.

'You don't know how long we have searched for you… hidden ourselves from the world searching for a trail you had hidden so well. It was only until recently when Edea rose and Adel was murdered that we came closer to you… thinking this arrogant wretch was you fulfilling your role of existence.' Illyssa added twisting Seifer's arm up his back making him grimace in pain and anger.

'You can keep denying who you are Omen but it will never go away, it's in your blood.' Kazen said softly, his shoulders sagging under his heavy robes.

'If you thought Seifer was me then why did you kill the girls?' Jayson asked angrily.

'You let your mother be killed, you were to be punished and then hopefully the threat of your false imprisonment would cause you to lash out, join us once more.' Kazen said calmly.

'Even now you're mind is so twisted… Adel is gone, you can't have the world the way it used to be… you have no power now, over me or anyone else.' Jayson snapped keeping an eye on the both of them.

'I have the power to see to it that this failure can be killed.' Kazen retorted dryly.

'Yet will it match my power to prevent it?' Jayson said finally grinning as he raised his hand, which flickered a golden yellow.

'Aura!' Jayson said softly casting the spell on Seifer, his body turning the same golden yellow as the spell took effect.

'What is this?' Illyssa shrieked, reflexively loosening her grip on Seifer.

'No Mercy!' Jayson yelled to a bemused Seifer, who grinned in understanding as his fist became a ball of fire and spun round on Illyssa, smashing her in the side of her face with his fiery fist, knocking her to the ground with a scream of pain.


	13. The Death of Hope as Darkness Comes

'Seifer, go now!' Jayson barked as Illyssa fell from Seifer's fiery punch, his eyes not leaving Kazen.

'You're kidding?' Seifer retorted, flashing him a mischievous grin.

'You're unarmed and I need you to guard the door so no one comes in or out.' Jayson replied drawing Fixxer the blade glinting darkly in the faint light of the Quad.

'Fine.' Seifer muttered giving Jayson a resigned look and walked off, glancing once more at Jayson before he disappeared through the door.

'So what will you do now Omen? You defy me again and again, you betray your family.' Kazen said as Illyssa slowly stood, her cheek a tortuous welt of seared red, angry flesh where Seifer had punched her.

'Family?' Jayson spat, raising Fixxer.

'You gave me nothing but punishment and pain, you never cared for me.' Jayson retorted and shrugged a strange grin crossing his features. 'A family of murderers we are then and I'll show you who's the biggest murderer by finishing you off like I should have all those years ago.' He snarled, moving quickly towards Kazen.

In that moment Kazen drew a thin rapier from inside his cane as Illyssa drew a whip which cracked up at the scaffolding of the stage hitting someone whom had been hiding there watching the scene unfold.

She fell onto the stage onto her back, yelping in pain. Jayson faltered as he recognised her voice, her coppery hair. 'Meia!?' he moaned in pain and surprise.

Illyssa grinned as she ravelled the whip back in her hand as Kazen held Jayson's pained gaze.

'Is this what keeps you here?' Kazen demanded.

'That can easily be remedied.' Illyssa said softly as she moved to the prone figure of Meia, anger twisting her features into a menacing leer.

'NO!' Jayson roared and dashed towards Illyssa, Fixxer held low down by his legs as they thrust him nearer to her.

He crossed the intervening space to the stage and slammed into Illyssa with his shoulder, slamming her into the wall as Meia murmured in pain to him.

The whip cracked at the back of his neck, drawing his attention back to Illyssa.

'This whore has you blinded!' Illyssa hissed, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.

'And you don't think your father did the same to you? Twisted your thoughts to his own ideals, made you his slave and left you with no true thoughts of your own. You're pitiful.' Jayson snapped back, swinging Fixxer up so that it cut through the whip as she lashed it at him once more.

'You'd rather stay with those that killed your mother? Why do you want this life?' Illyssa retorted, dropping the whip and reaching for some other weapon in her dark robes.

'Because I was able to choose it! And I'm only sorry I didn't kill the cold hearted bitch myself.' Jayson growled, feigning a swipe at her.

'Really? When you're so much like her?' she grinned as a soft sound of tearing flesh behind Jayson made him realise what she had been up to all along.

She had been distracting him so Kazen could make a move on Meia. Jayson turned and saw Kazen raise his thin blade, thick rivulets of crimson blood ran down it as Jayson's gaze followed it down to Meia's body which was cut open, the fabric of her top slashed open exposing the furrow of split flesh and bulging organs that ran down her midline. The blood poured from her wound and her lips as they moved slowly, steadily growing slower as she gazed up at Jayson in silent excruciating pain, her eyes fading as her life left her and she fell still.

Jayson stood stock still his head bent down as he looked upon her, and then the fingers of his left hand slowly curled into a fist that trembled rapidly, his lips curling back to reveal his teeth as he clenched them together.

'Yes….' Kazen whispered. 'Let the darkness take you.'

Jayson looked up at that moment and Kazen flinched as he saw that Jayson's eyes were balls of pure blackness, devoid of anything except a spark of anger that was growing into a roaring flame.

Jayson gave a guttural, animal roar as he raised his right hand flinging Fixxer at Illyssa, the blade flying straight into her gut as she screamed in surprise and agony, the force pushing her into the wall as the blade erupted from her back and embedded itself into the stone, pinning her still.

Jayson ignored Kazen as he stalked over to Illyssa's writhing form as she struggled to free the blade from herself, the blood trickling down her abdomen and thighs soaking into her robe.

Jayson raised a hand to the burnt flesh of her cheek, digging his nails into it, the blood welling up under his fingertips as the charred flesh came away revealing tendon and bone. Illyssa's head was flung back as she let out a piercing wail as Jayson dropped the wad of flesh to the ground.

'You're wrong…. I'm so much more worse than her.' He whispered into her ear as he dug a hand into the gaping wound and tore her jaw from it's socket so it hung loose with a gush of blood, her tongue waggling, soaked in crimson gore.

Kazen still stood frozen, his dreams becoming a hideous nightmare before his eyes.

Jayson still wasn't finished with Illyssa, his fingers diving and tearing away at her body making gaping wounds all over her body as blood and her internal organs dropped to the floor as he tore away the muscle that supported them.

Flesh was piled at his feet before he seemed to be sated with her, her limp body ripped bare to the bone in numerous places and her consciousness had long gone. It was now that Jayson turned his attention to Kazen.

'So I guess you succeeded Father… I can feel all my power throbbing inside me, crackling with such malevolent energy…' Jayson said softly as he approached Kazen.

'It's a shame you won't live to see what I do with it.' He said grinning, raising his left hand which crackled with a dark reddish orange light and then his right hand which crackled a deep green.

'ULTIMA! FLARE!' he roared as the red and green lights crackled from his shoulders all the way to his fists where it grew in swirling balls before his hands erupted, surrounding Kazen in a multitude of magic explosions and the combined forces of the spells blew away his clothing and flesh, then the underlying musculature before burning up his bones.

Jayson watched all this as the spells faded away leaving only a pile of dust where Kazen had been and a series of droplets of molten metal from where he had held his rapier.

Jayson went over to Illyssa's corpse and tugged Fixxer from it before tossing Illyssa's remains onto Kazen's ashes.

He stood over Meia, his dark eyes filled with swirling turmoil. Pandora was finally dead, they could torment him no longer or haunt him, but it had cost him the one thing he loved most in this world, the only person who had truly cared and understood him.

He pulled his sweater and bound it around her body, sealing the wound. It was too late for him to bring her back to him even with all the power that crackled inside, her soul had left this shell of flesh, just as his had been burned away.

Strapping Fixxer to his thigh he slid his arms under Meia's limp body, lifting her up and holding her close to him. The rage still burned inside him and he knew there was just one more thing he had to do.

'Odine…' he hissed to himself.

The man who had designed him, told Kazen what could be made from him and led to his youth of torture. The man who had found Kazen and helped him live, enabled Illyssa to become this murderess. He had nothing left at Garden now but Odine gave him one last purpose.

The doors to the Quad burst open as Seifer and Squall ran in their eyes widening as they took in the blackened walls and the carnage.

'What happened?' Squall asked before his eyes fell on Meia.

'Damn it…' Seifer muttered.

'Pandora's dead and now I have to go see Odine.' Jayson said softly.

'What?' Squall asked.

Seifer just nodded understandingly.

'He will pay for what he's done to me, to her.' Jayson replied, gripping Meia tightly.

'You can't do that! It'd be war on Esthar!' Squall snapped.

'Like I care?' Jayson barked.

'Maybe you should rest? Grieve a little before you do anything too rash…' Seifer suggested trying to inject some calmness into the situation.

'There's no need to grieve… she's gone and never coming back.' Jayson said bluntly.

'Now get out of my or do you intend to stop me?' he growled, his black eyes flashing dangerously.

The two SeeDs parted and let him stalk out the door, holding Meia in his arms, her head pressed against his chest as his arms lay behind her neck and knees.

Squall and Seifer followed behind him mutely, knowing they had no chance of stopping him but worried of the consequences of what Jayson planned to do.

Jayson finally reached the courtyard and stopped, closing his eyes and he muttered something softly, his body fading momentarily before Squall and Seifer's eyes and then becoming solid once more as they became aware of a dark shadow above them.

Jayson's hair and clothes wavered as the gusts of air surrounded him and the shadow grew larger, the sound of beating wings growing louder, nearing the intensity of thunderclaps.

A feral beast was hovering above Jayson, its black-feathered wings outstretched as a large leonine body hung below them, the fur unruly and unkempt, a dark golden brown, whilst large paws dangled down, heavy hooked claws unsheathed and flexing slightly as Orion's crimson eyes watched the other two SeeDs warily.

Orion landed softly beside Jayson, his claws clicking loudly on the stone slab surface. The feathers on his eagle head were ruffled as he folded his wings, allowing Jayson to climb onto his back. He opened his beak to let out a defiant screech, the sharp serrated edges shown as a warning to the gathering SeeDs and cadets as Jayson straddled Orion's muscular neck, sliding one hand into the mass of feathers whilst the other held Meia tightly.

The growing crowd was blown back as Orion's wings unfolded and started flapping slowly, his monstrous, malevolent form rising into the air before amazed eyes.

The crowd stood in silence, gazing upwards as they became a speck in the sky before it was broken by Seifer.

'Do you think it's worth warning Esthar?' he asked Squall dryly.


	14. Esthar Burns and War On Garden

Meia's body was slowly growing cold up here in the atmosphere but Jayson could no longer feel it. Inside he was cold and immune to the freezing breeze that cut into his flesh as his dark eyes looked to the continent in the east, the shimmering of the land that showed the shield that protected Esthar but it wouldn't take much for him to tear it away, it would melt away like an ant under the magnifying glass pin-pointed ray of sunlight of rage that burned deep inside the frozen cage of his corrupted soul.

All he wanted was to destroy Odine, if Esthar got in the way then that was their problem, he would have no mercy for any of them, it would be their own foolish fault for protecting such a worthless creature.

Odine was less than human, just like he was now. This was what they wanted from him, a killing machine consumed by a single goal, and now that was what they had.

He looked back at Balamb, to the life and memories he had cast off, and could see the sea churned by the small sea vessels that Garden used to transport SeeDs. They were chasing him, the idiots, did they deem themselves so worthless that they didn't matter more than that insect Odine? He didn't want them to die needlessly, but if they chose to do so who was he to deny them that wish?

Back on the horizon Jayson could see something rise into the air above Esthar. It looked dragonesque and familiar, surely they weren't planning to send a Ragnarok type airship to meet him? Deter him?

Jayson growled to himself and swung his legs slowly alerting Orion who started to swoop towards the coast of the continent.

The airship shot towards them, a few thousand feet above, unable to keep up with Orion's twisted flight, a flick of his wings causing him to spiral down to the ground, the tall buildings of Esthar getting closer and more detailed whilst the airship rose up in an attempt to bank and turn round.

There were no weapons on the Ragnarok type aircraft so why was it sent? No doubt Squall had given Laguna the heads up on his coming but that sculpture of metal was no match for the feather and muscle of Orion.

Jayson jumped off Orion's back, clutching Meia tightly to him still. He would need to find a way to keep her with him but free his hands, no doubt the Esthar military would be upon him soon. He turned and grinned at Orion who gave a shrill cry of delight, flapping his wings and hovering up into the air, the dust spraying onto Jayson's clothes as he rose further, gaining speed and headed up for the airship.

Jayson stood there looking up, watching as Orion looped around the airship, making it shudder as the pilots struggled to control it in their nervousness and the maelstrom of Orion's flight.

Orion rose higher above it, the airship stabilising and slowly rising up to catch him. When he was but a speck to Jayson, Orion stopped his rise and hovered, his eyes pin-pointing the airship and he screeched in fury, diving down at the rising airship, his claws unsheathed, his body gaining momentum as it plummeted, his paws slamming into the top of the airship, claws puncturing the metal plates and bearing the airship down towards the sea at a frantic rate.

As Orion and the airship plummeted metal plates tore from the frame of it, the glass cockpit shattered and the pilots were from it, the pressure causing them to implode in a cloud of flesh and blood. As Orion neared the water's surface, he dropped the airship, which sizzled as it hit the water, plumes of white, frothy water rising into the air as the ruptured frame sank in a huge mass of seething bubbles.

Orion flapped his wings, circling rapidly as he screeched in pleasure, heading back to Jayson once more.

Jayson leapt onto his back, cradling Meia as Orion rose again, flying low over the barren plains towards the iridescent mirage of Esthar. There was a shimmer in the air as they flew through the shield, which offered as much resistance to their passage as a fine breeze. Jayson dropped off Orion's back onto one of the many blue glasslike walkways that crisscrossed Esthar. The people scattered in fear but not before Jayson was able to grab one of the cowering citizens and tear their robes, using the strips of fabric to fashion a sling in which he held Meia's body to his chest, his arms now free to wreak havoc on Odine and whoever stood in his way.

Screams of terror filled his ears as the people ran, escaping the dark cloud that was Jayson as he made his way to Odine's lab. He was away of the patter of footsteps behind him, the soft metallic clank of the Esthar soldier's boots as they approached. He ignored them all, pressing on intent only on seeing Odine's body drained of life in his hands.

The soldiers followed him cautiously, aware enough of what he had done recently to engage him in combat yet unable to run away like the civilians.

Jayson came to the laboratory and blasted the doors with a fiery fist, the metal plates melting under his blows. Inside there was the soft whirr of machinery, the buzz of electricity and the silence of a recently vacated room.

He snarled and turned to the soldiers. 'Where is Odine?' he demanded in a growl.

The soldiers back away in terrified silence.

'Tell me!' Jayson snapped, his black eyes flashing red with the reflected light as his fist erupted in flame.

Still silence but he could see the fear that held them even if he couldn't see their faces behind those bulging masks. Not knowing what they looked like, that they were human, had families made what he was about to do so much easier.

He punched the nearest solider, his fist moving in a red blur straight through his body and out the back, leaving a huge gaping hole as he withdrew his fist.

'Now where is he?' he demanded his fist now red with dripping blood.

The soldiers stood there in mute horror for a moment and then fled.

'Fine then if you won't give him up then the whole city shall perish!' he snarled.

He was weary of being fooled around, didn't have the time to go round seeking the mad doctor and would destroy the whole city to speed up his end even if it meant he would not be able to witness it personally.

Jayson whistled shrilly and Orion swooped down from above once more, allowing Jayson to slip onto his back and grip his feathers tightly as Orion's body blurred, Jayson's will implanting him with new desire, new techniques.

Orion rose slowly above the city, hovering above it as mayhem continued below, the helpless fire of machine guns falling far from them as the Presidential Palace became shielded in plates of metal.

'Cursed' Jayson whispered as Orion's beak opened and a roiling black flame erupted from it, hitting the Presidential Palace and melting it like ice, the molten metal splashing down onto the city below burning through people and buildings alike like concentrated acid.

The flame grew as Orion circled the city, burning and blasting the architecture of the city apart with pressurised and heated gasses so heavy they were solid. The screams of the populace below were cut short as their souls were torn from their bodies, leaving them hollow dolls. Soon Esthar was burning rubble and the screams had stopped, Orion flying low over it as nothing below moved.

Jayson scanned the ruins and seemed satisfied that nothing survived when he felt dizzy, a soft whispering in his head distracting him momentarily.

There was a sound of gunfire and Orion screamed in pain as a large metal slug tore through his wing, black feathers billowing into the sky as dark blood trickled into his wing from the wound, matting the remaining feathers.

Jayson turned to the direction of gunfire and saw that the SeeD gun ships had finally beached on the coast of Esthar, a number of people issuing from them in small squads, many of them in the dark blue uniforms of cadets.

Jayson gently stroked Orion's head, soothing his pain enough for him to hover over to the amassing warriors before Jayson dropped of his back and Orion faded, retreating back to within Jayson's tortured mind.

'Fools! Why did you come here?' Jayson bellowed as he saw the pale faces of unready cadets gathering around him.

Squall and Seifer broke through the crowd, Quistis and Rinoa following behind.

'You've gone too far, you've taken all those innocent lives for on man, for vengeance!' Squall replied drawing Lionheart.

'And you want to risk even more?' Jayson snorted. 'Have you forgotten what happened last time? When I was weaker?' he taunted.

There was a murmuring amongst the ranks and they started to move back a little as Jayson drew Fixxer, his eyes on Squall.

There was a battle of wills between Squall and Jayson, their gazes locked on each other's forcing the other to back down, but Jayson was aware that the crowds parted further behind Squall as if expecting him to do something, to see whether they would be needed or to their relief that they were superfluous. The withdrawing crowd exposed Nida, Irvine, Selphie and Xu as they drew closer trying to see what was happening.

There was a groan of disappointment when Squall broke eye contact first, the eerie darkness of Jayson's eyes too much for him.

'Don't make us do this…' Seifer said softly.

'You're the ones intent on a bloodbath, all you have to do is leave.' Jayson replied, not looking at Seifer. Wouldn't it be weird to take the life he had not long saved?

'We can't do that, we're worried what you might do next.' Quistis told him softly.

'Like start a war against Garden? Looks like that's too late…' Jayson said sarcastically.

'Think of Meia…' Rinoa said imploringly, edging towards Squall, her projectile weapon loaded and cocked.

'Yes, think of me…' Meia's voice said softly in his head.

Jayson blinked, stunned at the voice and shook his head, the others aware of this lapse in concentration and starting to move.

Jayson quickly came to and noticed this. 'Meia's dead damn it! What does it matter what she thinks? She can't anymore!' he roared and his body flashed golden in his rage, his knees bending slightly before he leapt into the air in a flash of light.

'Darkness!' he yelled and held Fixxer pointing downwards as he dropped to the ground, the blade plunging into the ground causing the earth to rumble and spilt, shaking the crowd and the SeeDs. The cracks grew rapidly, the crowds parting further as the ground opened under then suddenly without warning.

Nameless cadets were sucked into the cracks, as were Nida, a fellow shadow as he used to be, and as a scream from Selphie told him, so was that flirtatious cowboy Irvine.

'Do I need to give you anymore warnings?' Jayson said panting as the crowds tried to compose themselves, Selphie's wailing cut short as anger suffused her features, her nunchaku now whirring in his hands.

'You feel it now don't you? The hatred? The anger and pain of loss? Multiply that by infinity and you may get close to how I feel.' Jayson told her as she rushed over to him.

'Do you really want others to suffer like you have and are? This can't be you' Meia's voice rang inside his head once more.

Jayson's swayed momentarily but instinctively reached out his hand in a daze, grapping one end of the nunchaku as Selphie swung it at him and tugged it from her, bringing her towards him. Only Seifer's quick move at grabbing Selphie round the waist and pulling her back, causing her to let go of the nunchaku saved her from the swipe that Jayson dreamily aimed at where she would have been with Fixxer.

'It's over Jayson, let it rest now, they can't torment you anymore.' Her voice came again.

Was it really her voice or was it his own guilt now? No neither could be true, he had no soul now and she was dead, all he felt was rage and pain. It had to be them, they were tricking him, trying to calm him down so they could kill or imprison him.

No way would they do that!

'Stop it!' he snarled loudly, his blurry eyes fixing on Squall and Rinoa, and he remembered Rinoa's voice, the giggles, the spoilt tone just because she was with Squall. And there was Squall himself, who should understand that he should be left alone but he just wanted to prove to himself that he was better than him, especially after Spore.

Jayson seethed as he gazed at the two of them, the anger building up again as his blood boiled, his body still glowing in the Aura state, he could feel it opening up inside his mind, just what he had to do.

'NOOO!' Meia's voice screamed at him as his body was enveloped in dark light.

'Prisoner!' he roared, ignoring it. His body shimmering as it faded away, causing Squall and the others to look around quickly for him.

Jayson reappeared behind Rinoa, driving his blade into her side and vanished again, reappearing and punching Squall in the face an instant later as Rinoa cupped her gushing wound. Jayson vanished and reappeared again and again, landing blows and slashes on both Squall and Rinoa before it stopped and he reappeared back in the spot where he originally was, the others looking on in horror as Squall and Rinoa stood, bleeding profusely from their wounds, their bodies covering in livid red marks where they hadn't been cut, the two of them silently falling to the ground in the shocked hush of the crowd.

'Come back to me please.. before it's too late!' Meia's voice cried inside his head.

It was still there… yet they were dead… surely it would have stopped if it had been their trick unless…

Jayson blinked again, his eyes slowly becoming blue once more, the darkness drawing back from the whites of his eyes.

He looked around at the assembled SeeDs and cadets, his gaze lingering on a pale Seifer and incandescent Selphie, crossing over Quistis' tearful eyes and onto the torn corpses of Squall and Rinoa. He remembered what he had done now all too late, a single tear forming in his eyes as the waves of guilt and sorrow arrived.

He couldn't stay in this world now, not with the pain he had caused. All the pain inside of him had been washed over them all, creating a festering hatred, which would only continue to grow if he remained. He couldn't die, even if he wanted to, his body would heal and revive even if he wished against it now.

That would be his punishment, to let them tear at him forever but then how would they be able to move on? They would be no better than he was.

No one could speak, not even him, any words he would say would be hollow. Instead he nodded silently to Seifer.

He waved his hands as his lips moved in silence, the words coming from deep within. They all drew back as the black crackling light grew behind him, a dark hole opening within it and he stepped into it as it collapsed down on him and he vanished from existence.


	15. Fate

The world came swimming back as the glimmering orb faded away. All around him was darkness, the skies roiling with black clouds and thunder, the ground barren and cracked.

'Just what did I do?' Jayson wondered in anguish at the desolation around him.

Lightning flashed and lit the building before him, the tall, looming tortured castle of stone making him realise just what had happened.

He had travelled to Ultimecia's time, the world had moved on during what seemed to him as the moment he excised himself from it.

The guilt burned coldly like ice as he thought of the lives he had taken before he had regained control over his anger crushed soul. He wondered how his murder of Squall had affected Garden, whether the lack of his leadership made any difference to how Ultimecia arose or how the SeeDs fought her.

'Forget all that, think of what's truly on your mind…' a soft voice whispered to him.

Jayson shivered. He didn't want to think about that, but it was still there, those thoughts of Meia, those moments he had had with her cut short by Kazen. He had to stop there before the anger rose within once more.

'My dear Jayson… you shouldn't worry about that anymore.' The voice answered him.

'Who are you?' Jayson asked, his feet settling on the dusty ground and he looked around cautiously.

A figure appeared, a woman in a tight fitting black dress, ruffles of feathers around the neckline, the shape of black wings behind her shoulders, whilst she wore a strange horned headdress, her pale face highlighted by dark make up.

Jayson went to reach for Fixxer as his body jolted in recognition. 'Ultimecia…' he hissed.

'Who else would I be?' she replied with a smile and then waved her hand, tearing Fixxer from his thigh. 'You won't be needing that.' She told him.

'What do you want with me?' Jayson snapped, the anger rising again, his body crackling with dark energy.

'What I made you for' she replied soothingly.

'What?' Jayson said, his anger quickly cut off by shock, the energy numbed.

'Deluded Kazen thought Adel created you as a replacement Sorceress and then turned you into a Knight when you were born male. Adel may have wanted a girl but she wasn't in control, I was and I wanted a boy.' Ultimecia explained.

'And you wanted me for what purpose to be your Knight instead? That can't be right… the others would've remembered me…' Jayson murmured, his brow creasing.

Ultimecia gave him a beneficent smile, a strange thing coming from one with such a dark reputation, and stepped closer.

'I have no need for a Knight, I have creatures to guard me and Griever as a Guardian Force, what I need is something more personal…' she said softly, reaching out to caress his cheek.

Jayson flinched, stepping back as his eyes widened in horror. 'You want me to be your partner?' he asked abruptly.

'In a way, I need you to father my child.' She told him her hand still hanging in the air.

'And what makes you think I'd be so crazy as to agree to that? Why would I leave behind a heir for you with such power?' Jayson retorted.

Ultimecia smirked. 'You have no understanding. I have achieved circular immortality for myself but after I am killed there will be nothing left of me in this time and I can't bear the idea of that. As for the child being evil that's for you to decide for you shall raise them. Good and evil is all subjective, as you of all people should know, I did what I had to, to achieve what I have but I'm still mortal, still a woman and have needs too.' She told him.

'Why me?' Jayson asked coldly.

'No normal man could sleep with me, father my child, nor could they raise a child with such power. I need someone equal to me for it to happen.' She explained.

'Well equal or not, it still won't happen. You may have made me, caused my life to be the way it was just so I'd come here to you but it doesn't mean I'll carry on playing your game now I'm here.' Jayson growled.

'Even if you could raise our child to do much good? To balance all I have done?' Ultimecia asked, arching a delicate eyebrow.

'I could do that myself' Jayson snapped and turned to walk away.

Ultimecia flicked the wrist of her outstretched hand, her fingers curling in on themselves.

'Huh?' Jayson grunted as his body froze unable to move.

'You may be as powerful as me but we each have our unique gifts.' She told him walking round to his face her had stroking his unresisting cheek tenderly.

'You can't hold me forever.' Jayson hissed, his cheek tingling from her touch.

'That's quite true, you have such a strong will.' Ultimecia said smiling. 'But I hope that I can persuade you in time.' She told him and held up her other hand, a bright copper orb within it shining.

'Do you know what this is?' she asked softly.

'No and I don't have time for games!' he replied sarcastically as he felt the fingers of his hands flexing as Ultimecia's hold slowly started to fade.

'It's a soul, can you guess whose?' she answered grinning.

'Now I know you're lying.' Jayson snapped as a name fluttered through his mind, a name that was always there.

'Why would I need to lie to when I could take you here and now if I so wished it?' Ultimecia replied her hand closing.

'I don't know maybe you don't like the idea of not having the full experience the first time you do it!' Jayson said dryly.

Ultimecia bit his lip. 'We shall see won't we' She told him. 'But seriously, it is her soul, you carry it within you' she told him softly as blood slowly trickled from his puffy lower lip.

'Bullshit!' he spat angrily as he felt more movement coming back to him.

'Believe what you want but when she died her soul went into you, a gift of yours is to take up souls even if you don't realise it. However with hers it caused yours to condense allowing the anger to turn you as it did. The reason that you stopped was because her soul diffused through you, brought you back, no doubt you heard her whisper to you?' Ultimecia said her hand closing on the orb.

Jayson shook his head in disbelief, but it was true, he had heard Meia before he came to his senses, but he thought it was just guilt. Could he trust Ultimecia?

The world shimmered around them and they appeared in a room with a huge four-poster bed, the posts draped with thin, white curtains.

'Don't you want her to live again? She will be our child, you could love her all over again, protect her like you couldn't before.' Ultimecia whispered to him, her body pressed against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Jayson closed his eyes trying to think, to ignore her body, the smell of her as she teased.

'What reassurances do I get?' he said finally as he opened his eyes.

'You will feel it and you will take some of my own power, some of my soul. A lesser man would be consumed by it and die but it will be nothing to you.' Ultimecia said softly with a shy smile.

'I can't believe I'm here, that this is happening' Jayson thought to himself.

'But you are and it is, and there is more to come.' Ultimecia replied softly.

'Then let's get it started.' Jayson told her and pushed her onto the bed as he broke free from the grip of her spell.

Ultimecia squealed in surprise, the curtains falling down around the bed, hiding them from view.

She hadn't been how he would've expected, so shy and tender, yet passionate. He had been unable to hold himself back from her for long, had tried being as cold to her as he could, see it as purely mechanical but she was so like Meia it was uncanny. She lay asleep as he was left lying there with his guilty thoughts. In a way he had betrayed Meia, his love for her but he had felt it, the warmth of her soul leaving him as it entered Ultimecia's womb, to be reborn. He had also felt the chill as her powers entered him and their lovemaking had taken on a more passionate and urgent feel at that point as she bit and clawed at him, his body covered in red marks.

Now all he had to do was wait around nine months and see if Ultimecia would keep to her word or if he would have to kill her, regardless of what the future should be and how he'd mess up the past.

Author's note: Well that's the end of it, what do you think? Hopefully I was able to give you a few surprises huh Dacera? :)  
Well I'm sorry for takingso long to finish this and hope those of you who were reading it aren't put off by the large update now. Personally I prefer to have the whole series of anything I read together at the same time since I have to know what happens next, the suspense usually kills me!


	16. The Path Not Taken

'Seifer, go now!' Jayson barked as Illyssa fell from Seifer's fiery punch, his eyes not leaving Kazen.

'You're kidding?' Seifer retorted, flashing him a mischievous grin.

'You're unarmed and I need you to guard the door so no one comes in or out.' Jayson replied drawing Fixxer the blade glinting darkly in the faint light of the Quad.

'Fine.' Seifer muttered giving Jayson a resigned look and walked off, glancing once more at Jayson before he disappeared through the door.

'So what will you do now Omen? You defy me again and again, you betray your family.' Kazen said as Illyssa slowly stood, her cheek a tortuous welt of seared red, angry flesh where Seifer had punched her.

'Family?' Jayson spat, raising Fixxer.

'You gave me nothing but punishment and pain, you never cared for me.' Jayson retorted and shrugged a strange grin crossing his features. 'A family of murderers we are then and I'll show you who's the biggest murderer by finishing you off like I should have all those years ago.' He snarled, moving quickly towards Kazen.

Kazen twisted the top of his cane, drawing a thin rapier from within it, holding it tightly in one hand, ready to parry Jayson's attack.

This movement was not required as Illyssa stepped between them drawing out a whip from inside her robes and cracked it at Jayson, catching his cheek, drawing blood. Jayson shook his head, slightly stunned by the stinging pain, which allowed Kazen time to step back and move to circle him.

Again Illyssa cracked her whip, keeping him at bay, as Kazen slowly and warily circled him, swift swipes with his rapier warning Jayson to be careful.

It was just the three of them, he had nearly killed them before, there was nothing to hold him back, not even the small voice in the back of his head that tried to dissuade him from hurting his half-sister. The pain and anger inside caused by Kazen was still fresh in his mind, having never truly left him in the ten years after he had massacred Pandora and Illyssa was no longer innocent, blood stained her hands just as they did his and so he had no need to be merciful this time.

He ducked under her whip, the speared tail sailing over his shoulder as he dove at her, the sharp edge of Fixxer's hooked blade slicing into her thigh before his shoulder connected with her chest, knocking the whip from her hand.

She stumbled backwards as blood trickled from the deep wound, soaking invisibly into the black material of her robes. Jayson stood, bringing Fixxer upwards and swung it at her, doing what he had failed to do all those years back. As the blade met her flesh exactly where her scar was he felt the stinging pain of Kazen's rapier swishing against his back but he ignored the pain, the warm blood trickling down his spine as the cold metal was whisked away and he concentrated all his focus into the swing of his arms as it cut cleanly through Illyssa's neck, flesh carved away like butter, the bone and cartilage of her neck vertebrae offering as much resistance as paper as Fixxer's blade flew from the other side of her neck, drops of blood hanging in the air as the fell from it, Illyssa's head rolling away to the floor, her face frozen in an expression of disbelief before her body followed it to the ground.

Behind him, Jayson heard Kazen's wail of anguish.

'Illyssa!' he cried out, the despair evident in his voice. 'How could you kill your own sister?' he seethed, the sound of the rapier swishing through the air as Jayson turned to catch it against Fixxer.

'Pretty easily…. You seem to forget that as far as I'm concerned I have no family. You should be more worried about your own life as I'm about to end it all.' Jayson replied coolly, his blue eyes flashing darkly.

'You could've have been something better than this. You could've been the right hand man to a supreme being!' Kazen told him heatedly as he tried to slide the rapier under Jayson's guard and stab him in the stomach.

'Just like you? No thanks! The only thing you succeeded in doing is making sure I hated you… was that ever part of your plan?' Jayson snarled, bringing Fixxer down and knocking the rapier away, only mildly surprised by the older man's cunning.

'No… you were to respect me, be pleased at the strength I'd given you, that you'd understand when you were older and your mother ruled once more.' Kazen said softly.

'Then you're more of a fool than I thought… how could a young child understand all that pain and torment as something good? But you're right it made me strong, in the mind, I was able to resist everything you tried to break me with, yet it cost me my emotions, forced me into loneliness.' Jayson said, his eyes narrowing in determination as the seemingly frail Kazen was a lot faster on his feet than Jayson had remembered, dancing around him as the rapier's blade flashed at him again and again, avoided by quick movements and parries with Fixxer honed by years of training.

'Then maybe you can understand how it was for us when Adel was taken from us and were we forced into that hell hole of caves.' Kazen replied, sweat beading on his brow as he continued to try Jayson's defences, looking for any opening, something to weaken him with so he'd get chance to explain, to change his defiant mind.

'Don't try to tell me we're the same, I may have your blood but that means nothing. I have that witch's blood in me too but I'll never be a ruthless tyrant like her, I don't want to rule the world, be feared and hated. If I had the choice I'd tear every part of her out of me along with all the powers it gave me.' Jayson snarled swiping at Kazen who barely dodged the attack.

'You'd besmirch the powers you've been given to be normal? When you could do so much with them?' Kazen snapped, flailing weakly with the rapier as his old body became fatigued.

'These powers are a curse, as are you!' Jayson yelled and gave up on holding back, finally having said all that he had wanted to get off his chest and finding the perfect opening.

Kazen was powerless to stop Jayson shattering his rapier with a blow that reverberated through his whole body and the ground around Jayson's feet sparked with a brilliant light that erupted around him, crackling in jagged arcs of energy before fading.

'What is this?' Kazen whispered in awe.

'Death…' Jayson replied as his muscles bunched as he launched into a limit break, everything he had, everything he felt all focusing in his arms, in Fixxer as a new technique came into being from the recesses of him mind, unleashed as Kazen stood frozen before him, the once proud and overbearing tormentor of his past now a frail little thing.

'Unforgiven' Jayson snarled as his body followed instinctively the technique that became available to him under this time of immense emotional stress.

Jayson held Fixxer low, slashing across Kazen's lower legs in a straight line, his arms twisting at the end of the arc so he could bring the blade upwards diagonally and the straight across Kazen's chest, the tip of Fixxer's blade following a Z shaped pattern in the air.

There was a whistling sound as Kazen tried to breathe, the last slash opening his lungs to the surrounding air, a gurgling sound growing as blood bubbled through the wounds.

As Kazen started to fall, Jayson pulled Fixxer back for the last motion of the Unforgiven limit break. With a fierce determination in his eyes, Jayson drove Fixxer forward with all his might, the point of the blade piercing Kazen's good eye and going straight out the back of his head, this time definitely mutilating his brain and destroying what existed of the personality that was Kazen Orca.

Jayson pulled the blade back, breathing heavily as he looked at the two bodies that lay before him in growing pools of blood. This was how they had left those innocent girls who were nothing more than pawns in their twisted scheme and it seemed fitting that he would have the girls' revenge for them this way. This was the only way it could've ended, to let them live would no doubt mean more deaths as they came at him again and again, blindly living in a hopeless dream. He still held the guilt for those girls' deaths for if he had done this properly the first time this would never have happened.

His past could physically be buried but how long would it be before Garden found out about him? Could he trust Seifer and the others to keep his secret? How much would he have to explain?

He was too tired to think now, all he wanted was to fall into Meia's warm embrace once more, lose himself in her love where he felt so safe and then he'd have the energy to face whatever the world had to throw a him next.

Author's note: As you can probably guess this is meant to be an alternate ending taking place of chapters 13-15 in the main text. I originally planned to have this as the ending, wanting to go out on a somewhat happy note and have the Dark Jayson scenario as the alternate but as I wrote that ending I felt that this one was so much weaker and decided to relegate it to alternate.


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